Drifted
by PasifiKStaR
Summary: They lasted 2 years after the game and now, 3 years after their breakup, songstress Rinoa and Squall meet up accidently at a Trabia resort. Will they try again or stay just stay friends? SxR, SxQ, IxS, ZxLB
1. Time For A Break

**Drifted**  
_Chapter One: Time For a Break_  
By PasifikStar

Author's Note: Random short story. Okay, SHORTER than my usual stories. Yes, I know...I write to much. Sorry. -.-;; Relatively pointless story. 

* All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters. 

* * *

It was bound to happen. Sure, at first everything seemed like a happy ending. The world was saved. They were alive. The Garden was up and about. And THEY were together, just like at the end of a fairy tale. Perhaps it was his fault, but then again, perhaps it was hers. Whatever the reason, they were no longer together. 

They had lasted two years before finally deciding to take a 'break'. A break that lead to the break up. It wasn't a horrible fight. No one cheated on the other. They just drifted apart. Rinoa, free spirited and impulsive, took up where her mother left off and simply became known as 'Angel', the multi-talented pop star. Squall, the responsible commander, remained in Balamb resuming his duties there, rising to the rank of captain a year before. 

From his desk, he looked up from his paper work and looked at the calendar on his desk. March 8th. His eyes narrowed. *Today is her birthday,* he thought to himself as he paused in the middle of signing a document. *She'd be...let's see...23 today.* A small smile graced the corner of his lips as he wondered what she was doing at that very moment. 

There was a knock at the door. "Squall?" a voice said from outside. "Squall, you have a delivery. They won't let me sign for it." 

The brunette let out a heavy sigh as he pushed himself away from his desk and stood up and off his leather chair. He walked around his desk and headed towards his door. He put his hand on the handle and pulled it open. Xu stood there holding a clip board and pen. He took the ballpoint pen and scribbled his name down in blue ink. "What is it?" 

"I don't know," Xu said as she handed the clip board back to the delivery man. He handed her a small brown box and Xu looked over at it before raising her eyebrow questioningly. "Squall, did you subscribe to one of those CD clubs?" 

"What?" Squall asked, frowning. He reached out and took the small cardboard box from her. It was from a record label and hand addressed to him. His eyes went wide as he recognized the handwriting...even after all those years. The flowing, curved writing, slanted to one side with over sized capitol letters were like the owner's name had written their own name rather than his. "Thanks, Xu. I'll take it." 

"Okay...but don't forget to cancel or they'll charge you!" Xu called as he closed the door behind him. Squall headed to his chair and sat down. 

A nervous hand ran down the side of the box. It was addressed to a Captain Squall Leonhart...how did she know he had become a captain? Selphie and Quistis? He had a heard a rumor that Quistis was dating some agent of a famous singer. And he knew that Rinoa had hired Seifer to be her agent since after the whole Ultimecia incident, people were reluctant to hire him and Fujin and Raijin. 

But when she hired him, they were no longer together and he had no right to be jealous. Even though he was. Without hesitating a moment longer, he ripped it open and shook it's contents out. It was a CD with a post it on it. He looked over the yellow piece of paper that had light blue, gel writing on it. 

"_Sorry it's so late...but congratulations on making Captain, captain!_" he read quietly. *Late is an understatement. It's been almost a year.* 

He peeled the piece of paper off the CD and looked around his office. His computer was on and he opened it's CD drive, gently placing the metal disc into the computer. Within a few seconds, a soft melody was playing from his computer. He leaned back against his chair as the sound of a piano and a young woman's voice floated through the air. 

He looked at the cover of the CD to look into Rinoa's chocolate brown eyes in a haze of baby blue smoke. The album's title - Congratulations. He slowly put the album back on the table and closed his eyes. It's been so long since he heard her voice. All he received from her were the occasional cards on his birthday and holidays. 

*So she dedicated her album to me?* he thought to himself with a slight smile. As he thought about it, his smile faded. Rinoa, or 'Angel' had been linked with other celebrities. Even he'd been in the spot light as Rinoa's infamous ex-boyfriend. Then again, so was Seifer. As the second track died down, there was another knock on the door. 

His blue eyes flew open as he reached for the mouse. "Squall, are you in there?" Selphie's voice called. 

"Of COURSE he's in there," Irvine replied, also outside. "Xu just told us he was!" 

"Well, I know but what if he's busy or something?" Selphie replied as Squall, in his fervor, closed the wrong program. 

"Aww...Hyne!" The brown haired blue eyed captain struggled to suppress the swear words about to slip from his mouth as he closed the correct program and tired to re-open the one he closed. 

"Squall! We're coming in!" Zell's familiar voice asserted. There was a brief pause. 

"Well, then open the door, Zell!" Irvine snapped. "Don't just stand there!" 

"I thought Selphie was going to open it. She's closer." Zell replied. 

"Oh, forget it..." Irvine sighed tiredly. He gently pushed Selphie to the side as he grabbed the door know and opened the door. The trio stumbled in to find Squall sitting at his desk, a pen in hand as he looked up from his paper work. 

"What is it?" he asked coolly. 

"This," Selphie said as she handed in a letter. "Headmaster had it sent to you." 

"What is it?" Squall asked as he looked over the white envelope. 

"I don't know? A gift certificate to the record store?" Selphie said. "Aren't you missing just one of Rinoa's CDs?" 

The letter slipped out of Squall's hands as he looked up, trying hard to suppress his blush. Irvine raised an eyebrow in question. "A big fan of Angel?" 

"If this is all you had to give me, you're free to go," Squall stated as he picked up the letter once more. He turned his face away from his friends, who didn't move a muscle. As he tore open the top seal, he looked up at them. "Well?" 

"Well?" Selphie asked. "Read it!" 

Squall narrowed his eyes and let out a grumble as he relented and pulled out a sheet of paper. Sapphire eyes scanned the black letters and went wide. He reached for his phone and grabbed the head set. "Xu!" he nearly shouted into the phone. "Get me Headmaster Cid!" 

"I'm sorry, Captain," Xu said casually as she smirked. "He's not taking any calls right now." 

"He'll take it from me!" Squall growled back. 

"Actually, he specifically said especially NOT from you," Xu said. "Sorry!" She quickly hung up, leaving Squall staring at the phone. 

"What does it say?" Zell said. Before Squall could react, Selphie's hand darted out and grabbed the letter. 

"_Captain Leonhart, in light of your years of service without taking a vacation or sick day, Balamb Garden is pleased to give you three weeks paid vacation and a ski pass to the Trabia resort of your choice. You are to leave THIS weekend. Sincerely, Headmaster Cid Kramer._" Selphie read aloud. 

"Do you how luck you are!?" Irvine gasped. "Three weeks PAID vacation! The last time I took three weeks off, Headmaster threatened to fire me." 

"That's because you took off in the middle of a semester," Squall grumbled back. He stood up and reached across the table, taking the letter from Selphie. "What the hell is this about? I have work to do!" 

"It's Semester Break, Squall," Zell told him. "Most of the students, cadets, and faculty are going home." 

"Yeah, even Quisty is heading up to Trabia to spend her break with that guy she's been seeing," Selphie said. Her eyes went wide. "Oh! We should ALL go! I haven't met her boyfriend yet!" 

"She's been so secretive about it," Irvine agreed. "I'm up for it. I'm sure if we all go, Headmaster will let us." 

"Can I bring my girlfriend?" Zell asked eagerly. 

"Sure!" Selphie said. "Hey, I'll arrange the tickets and hotels now. Squall," she said, excited as she looked over at him. "Which resort are you going to?" 

"I'm not going." a deep, stoic voice replied. 

"What?" Irvine said. "No way! You're going!" 

"Yeah, Squall, you've been working non stop for years. You need a break," Zell added. "This can't be healthy." 

"What would YOU know about being healthy? You eat hotdogs for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!" Squall snapped as he shot Zell a glare. 

The blond took a step back, has if burned. Selphie shot Squall a glare. "Squall, you know he's just worried," she said. The captain ran a pale hand down his face as he took a deep breath. "We're all worried." 

"I'll be fine," Squall breathed. "I'm sorry, I snapped at you, Zell." 

"Sorry won't cut it," Zell replied, making Irvine and Selphie look at him with surprise. In the years they had known him, he hadn't changed much. He usually would've just accepted the apology and be friends again. "You owe me." 

"Owe you?" Squall spat out, obviously annoyed. 

Zell swallowed hard under Squall's piercing glare. "Yeah...you...you totally put down my whole lifestyle...the least you can do is make it up." 

"And HOW may I do that?" Squall grumbled. 

"Go...go with us," Zell suggested weakly. "Three weeks, Squall...twenty-one days. That's all we ask." 

Squall sat back in his chair and leaned forward. He cupped his face in his hands and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "If I agree, will you three leave me alone to get my work done until then?" He grumbled. 

Irvine, Selphie, and Zell looked at each other and nodded. "Fine..." Irvine asserted. 

"Then I'll go." Squall replied. 

Selphie smirked and gave the other two nods. "Okay then, I'll book us some rooms at the Ice Crystal." 

"The ICE CRYSTAL?" Squall said, his eyes looking even more annoyed as he looked up at them. "Three weeks there will cost-" 

"Don't worry about the cost," Irvine assured him. "You just worry about packing sweaters and some thermals," he said as he ushered Selphie and Zell out the door. "Leather won't cut it in the snow! Trust me...once my chaps froze...and let's just the outcome was NOT pretty. Or painless." 

* * *

Quistis was waiting at the train station, two bags on either side of her. A small black suitcase on one side and a black rolling suit case with a make-up case resting at the top of it. She wore comfortable jeans and a dusty rose knit sweater underneath a heavy dark red trench coat with a hood. 

Clutched in her breast pocket was information on her trip, including a key to a private suite at the Ice Crystal Resort. She couldn't help but smile with glee as excitement bubbled inside of her. It's been months since she had last scene him, when he took a break and flew to Balamb to meet with her in secret. 

His job was relatively high profile and while he stayed in the shadow of his client, people would be clawing at him with demo discs or just trying to get the hook ups to see his world famous client. To avoid dragging Quistis into the lime light, he asked her if she wanted it secret. She said it would be fine with her. Although, she often wondered what it would be like to be in the limelight. 

Suddenly, the familiar ring of her cellular phone went off and she reached into her pocket, taking out a slim silver phone. She flipped it open quickly, glad it was warm from being close to her body as it touched her face. "Hello?" 

"Hey, Quisty," a deep voice sounded in her ear and she blushed uncontrollably. "I'll be there at the station waiting for you." 

"I thought you'd send a car?" Quistis said, surprised that he was actually willing to step into the light. 

"Well, little miss cupid found out because SOMEONE spilled," the voice grumbled. In the background, she heard someone yell sorry and she giggled. "So when she found out, she gave me the day off and threatened to cut my pay if I don't spend your vacation with you." 

"Aww..." Quistis chuckled. "And how is she doing by the way?" 

"Outside making snowmen with Fujin at a fundraiser," the man replied. On the other end, a pair of green eyes looked out the glass windows that lined an entire wall of the resort. Fujin was wearing a blue snow suit and patiently shaping a snowman while his client had changed her plans. "Scratch that...she's now caught in a snow ball fight with some kids...oh...she pelted one in the back of the head..." 

Quistis laughed. "I can't wait to get there and join the fun!" 

"Trust me, baby, I can't wait until you get here, too," his voice was filled with warmth and intent as she closed her eyes, allowing the warmth in his voice to fill her wind chilled body. "I miss you, Quisty." 

"Sei-" 

"Hey, there's Quisty!" a voice shouted behind her. The blonde's head perked up as she heard the all to familiar voice behind her. She turned her head around quickly. "HEY!!" Selphie was running at her, waving. 

"Oh, Hyne..." Quistis nearly dropped her phone as she saw Selphie dragging a bright yellow, rolling bag behind her. Zell and Irvine also waved, carrying arm full of luggage as a peeved looking brunette followed behind them. 

"Quisty? Quistis, babe, are you there?" a deep voice asked. 

"Umm...can I call you back, honey?" Quistis said. "You won't believe who just showed up..." 

"Okay...if you can't reach my phone, call the hotel and send a message to my suite," he instructed her. "Trabia gets crappy reception...I'm down to two bars..." 

Quistis smiled slightly. "Okay. I'll see you soon, Seifer." 

"You too, baby." With that, Quistis snapped her phone closed as turned her body completely around to meet with the group. 

"Hey! We're on the same train!" Zell said as he looked at the tags on Quistis' luggage. "So where are you staying in Trabia?" 

"Tra...Trabia?" Quistis stammered. She looked at him behind her glasses, confused. "You guys are going to Trabia?" 

"Yeah, for the break!" Selphie said. "Headmaster Cid forced Squall to go, so we're all tagging along!" 

"Oh, really...?" Quistis trailed off. *They don't know, do they? They don't know that Rinoa is there right now...* "Where are you guys staying?" *Please not the Ice Crystal. Please not the Ice Crystal...* 

"The Ice Crystal!" Zell said proudly. "Selphie managed to get some rooms." 

"It was last minute, but I got them!" Selphie said. "Kind of expensive, though..." 

"That's because the Ice Crystal is only the best resort in Trabia's snowy ski paradise," Irvine stated. "Supposedly, their normal rooms are like other resort's SUITES." 

"Whoa..." Zell mumbled. 

"What about you, Quistis?" Selphie asked innocently. "Where are you staying?" 

"Uh...the...um...Ice...Crystal..." she said hesitantly. 

Immediately, Selphie's green orbs widened as a wide smile reached her face. "COOL!! You're staying with your boyfriend, right?" 

Quistis blushed and nodded. "He even got the three weeks off so we could spent time together..." 

"Ah...say no more, Quisty!" Selphie said, shaking her head. "We won't bother you or your man." 

"Selphie, you don't have to put it that way-" 

"Don't worry, Quistis!" Selphie said. "As soon as we arrive in Trabia, you won't even SEE us!" 

* * *

Quistis rolled her eyes as she dragged her luggage forward. *_As soon as we arrive in Trabia, you won't even SEE us!_* Quistis thought to herself. "Right..." 

Behind her, the group of four, minus Squall, was chatting energetically and trying to decide whether or not to call a taxi or wait for the resort bus to pick them up. "Let's just get a damn taxi so we don't freeze!" Squall finally shouted, setting the argument. 

"Okay, okay..." Irvine said. He looked up ahead. "Hey, Quistis! What about you? You got a ride?" 

"I'll be fine!" Quistis called over her shoulder. She buried herself into her knit scarf as she exited the sliding doors of the train station. People were waiting by the curb for someone to pick them up. She let out a deep breath that crystallized in front of her as she laid eyes on the blanket of white that surrounded them. 

Suddenly, hands were placed over her eyes and a warm breath caressed her right cheek. "Guess who." 

"Seifer!" Quistis gasped. The black, leather gloved hands lifted as she turned around and locked eyes with warm green ones. 

"Miss me much?" he asked, a smirk gracing his chiseled face as he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "Hmm...you need some lip balm." 

"Oh, shut up," Quistis grinned as she looked up at him. "So where's the car?" 

"Right there," Seifer said. He pointed to the black SUV parked right in front of them. "Let me grab your bags." 

As he took them off her hands, she grinned. "Thanks." Seifer tugged the car keys of his white jacket's pocket and pressed a button on the keyless remote. Immediately, the back door of the SUV rose and he put her things inside the large vehicle. Just then, the doors behind Quistis slid open. 

"What do you mean you won't pay for a taxi, Zell!?" Irvine said. "You're taking it, too!" 

"She's taking a later train so I have to come back later. I don't have a lot of cash on me," Zell pleaded. "Please, guys? Just this once?" 

"Ugh...fine!" Irvine grumbled. He looked up just as Selphie stopped in her tracks. 

"Babe, you ready to go?" a deep, familiar voice sounded. 

Selphie nearly dropped her bags as Zell's mouth dropped. "Seifer?" the two of them chorused at the same time. 

Quistis winced and turned around slightly as Seifer walked up next to her, putting his arm possessively around Quistis' slim, bundled up, shoulders. "What the hell are you three doing here?" 

"We're on vacation!" Selphie said. Her eyes went from Quistis to Seifer and back. "No way..." Seifer's arm was around Quistis. Quistis was leaning against Seifer. "YOU'RE Quistis' boyfriend!?" 

"Almost a year now, Quisty and you STILL haven't told them?" Seifer asked, raising an eyebrow at the blond female next to him. "I would've thought you'd be all bragged out at this point." 

Quistis let out a deep breath. "I thought you wanted to keep it secret." 

"From important people," Seifer shrugged. "Not them." 

"Hey...if you're here..." Zell trailed off as he narrowed his eyes. Selphie nodded, getting Zell's point. 

"Is SHE here, too?" 

"She?" Seifer asked casually. "She WHO?" 

"You know who!" Zell exclaimed. "Is Rinoa here or not!?" 

"Rinoa?" a voice said quietly behind them. Selphie, Irvine, and Zell turned around as Seifer and Quistis looked over their heads. Squall was standing there, a duffel bag over his shoulder as he held a cup of coffee. He had just came out of the station. "Seifer?" He asked incredulously as he narrowed his eyes. He looked at his group of friends. "What's going on here?" 


	2. Friends

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Two: Friends_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: I'm having writers block with Sacred Blood. I know where it's supposed to be going, but the details aren't coming up. Anyway, this is just to fill in my time. Each chapter is about 1/2 the length of one of my regular ones. 

* * *

All eyes turned to Squall, who had a black duffel bag over his left shoulder while he held a styrofoam cup of coffee in his right hand. Narrowed, icy blue eyes shot looks at all them suspiciously as Seifer's all too familiar smirk reached his gaze. 

"Commander Puberty...or should I say Captain?" Seifer asked in a booming voice. "Long time no see." He lifted his arm off of Quistis' shoulder and extended his hand towards Squall. 

Warily, the brown haired captain took the man's gloved hand and shook it firmly. "I see you're doing well, Seifer," Squall stated. "What brings you here?" 

"I'm here top pick up Quistis," Seifer said proudly as he draped his arm over her slim shoulders once more and kissed the top of her head affectionately. "We're heading up to the Ice Crystal. Where are you guys staying?" 

"Same place..." Irvine said hesitantly. 

"Umm...Seifer, you think we can give them a ride?" Quistis asked as she put her hand on his chest and looked up at him. 

"No," Seifer snorted out quickly. "This break is supposed to be solely for us." 

"Come on, Seifer..." Quistis urged. "Please?" 

The tall blond male grumbled as he took his arm off her shoulder. "Fine, get in the car," he murmured, obviously annoyed as Quistis smiled warmly. She waved for them to follow her and the group of four looked at each other nervously. "Well? Are you coming or not!?" Seifer hissed. 

"We're coming!" Selphie piped. She took the first steps ahead as Seifer lifted the trunk door. Looking at each other hesitantly, Irvine, Squall, and Zell followed. Seifer got into the driver's seat after he opened the passenger's side door for Quistis and closed it after her. 

Irvine opened the door for him and Selphie, who jumped into spacious SUV. On the other side, Squall jumped in, leaving Zell at the back of the SUV, closing the trunk. Seifer looked at his rear view mirror and smirked evilly as he started the engine. As soon as the trunk door was closed, he stepped on the gas. 

"HEY!" Zell stumbled forward as the vehicle lunged forward. 

"Seifer!" Quistis snapped as the blond laughed hysterically as he slowed down and waited for Zell to catch up. "Let him in," She sighed as she rubbed her forehead. *Hyne, what have I gotten myself into...?* 

Selphie and Irvine were cracking up in the back set next to Squall, who opened the door and let Zell in. "What the hell was that about!?" Zell shouted furiously as he crawled into the seat next to Squall. Selphie sat on Irvine's lap to make more room. 

"Just messing with you, chicken wuss," Seifer smirked as he pulled out into the street. "Quisty, how as your trip?" 

"It was long," Quistis sighed. "But I slept most of the trip." 

"Hey, Seifer, how long have you guys been here?" Selphie asked from the back seat. 

"We got here a few days ago," Seifer said. "After her concert in Dollet, we flew over. She's doing some fundraisers while she's here." 

"How are Raijin and Fujin?" Quistis asked from the where she was sitting. Seifer looked over his shoulder to switch lanes. 

"They're doing good," Seifer said. "Raijin's stuck indoors after he sprained his ankle the other day. Rinoa dared him to take a jump he had been bragging about and the fool took it. He landed wrong and she and Fujin had to drag him to the medical center." 

"Last time I talked to Rinoa was last month," Selphie piped. "She said she was trying to buy property up here." 

"Yeah, she's addicted to snow boarding," Quistis chuckled. "I think she wanted to buy a small resort." 

"Damn...she's making THAT much money?" Irvine whistled in awe. "What's she paying you, Seifer?" 

"None of your business," Seifer snapped. "But she did buy a resort. It was finalized yesterday evening." 

"Which one?" Zell said. 

They pulled up to a large glimmering building behind a huge iron cast gate. The building itself was several stories tall and held an inner courtyard and connected to private indoor swimming pools and a golf course. It's parking garage was to one side and they drove into it. "We're in it." 

* * *

"Whoa..." Zell said as he looked up at the huge chandelier hanging above the lobby as soft yellow light illuminated the main floor. Their bags were carried by snow suited bell boys dressed in the Ice Crystal's colors of baby blue and silver. 

Hard wood floors were occasionally covered by thick rugs, especially in sunken lounges along the side of the lodge. They looked out through massive arched windows into the blinding white snow dotted with skiers, boarders, and people who were having fun. Children were making snow men and snow angels while adults sat on the outdoor patios, next to heat lamps, discussing politics over coffee. 

"We're going to head up to our room," Quistis said. "We'll see you guys around!" She waved her hand as Seifer took her other one, leading her to the elevators. 

"Let's check in!" Selphie said. She scampered over to the check in desk and the clerk looked up from their computer. 

"Can I help you, miss?" the young woman smiled warmly. 

"Yes, I'd like to check in. My name is Tilmitt. Selphie Tilmitt." Selphie looked over her shoulder and winked as Squall rolled his eyes. Zell's eyes were still pasted on the decoration of the extravagant resort lobby as Irvine casually winked at one of the workers who was passing by. 

"Okay, Miss Tilmitt," the young woman at the check in counter said. "You reserved two rooms, two beds each. Your check out date is by noon in twenty one days. Is that correct?" 

"Yes it is," Selphie asserted. "Just a quick question...how much will it cost?" 

"About 16,000 gil per room, Miss Tilmitt," the young woman replied, her smile never leaving her face. "You did choose one of the standard rooms." 

"Hmmm...and how much a night would a suite cost?" Selphie added, out of curiosity. 

"The better ones cost 4,000 a night," the young woman replied. "It has better annuities, private pool and golf times, personal ski or snowboarding instructors, a private gym, bar, and spa. You also have access to the VIP lounge at our famous night club, Icicle." 

"I see..." Selphie swallowed. *I wonder if that's what Seifer and Quistis have...man...Seifer must be getting paid A LOT.* 

"Would you like to upgrade, Miss Tilmitt?" 

"Huh? Uh no! No, that's okay!" Selphie said, backing up slightly. "The standard rooms are fine." 

"Okay," the young woman said. "Here are your keys...here's the schedule of the golf sessions and lastly, here is a letter from our new owner personally inviting you to dinner tonight. All of the people checking in today are invited." 

"Really?!" Selphie asked, her green eyes wide with excitement. Suddenly, she remembered how much it would cost to eat that one of the resort's five star restaurants. "How much will it be?" 

"It's free with the invitation, miss," the woman said, amused. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" 

"No, that's it!" Selphie said. She signed some papers and took the key. "Thanks!" Within moments, she headed off to where three young men were standing. "Okay, we got two rooms." 

"Two?" Squall asked. "Tell me that you, Irvine, and Zell are all rooming together." 

"Oh, eww! No!" Zell exclaimed horrified. "I'm not rooming with the two of them!" 

"You guys, it's 16,000 per room!" Selphie exclaimed. "You guys will all get a room and I'll share one with Zell's girlfriend." 

"WHAT!?" Irvine and Zell exclaimed, even more horrified with Selphie's plan of dividing the rooms. 

"How many beds are there per room!?" Irvine gasped. 

"Two?" Selphie said sheepishly. 

"Oh, Hyne...!" came their wails. 

"Selphie, I'm not sharing a room with IRVINE AND ZELL!" Squall growled viciously. "You three forced me to come here to relax! How am I supposed to relax with THOSE two!?" 

"Selphie go ask for another room! Just a one bed room this time," Irvine said. "PLEASE?" 

"Okay, okay..." Selphie sighed. She treaded back to the front desk. From where they were standing, they watched her lean forward and exclaim "WHAT!?" 

"Sorry, Miss Tilmitt," the now slightly distressed clerk said. "I'm afraid we can't help you. We're filled to capacity for the season. Even the suites are filled." 

"Well, what about later in the week?" 

"We're booked full for two weeks," the clerk said. She looked over at the screen of her computer. "But the third week, we'll have some rooms available." 

"On the third week...?" Selphie breathed. She looked back at her companions. Irvine was shaking his head as Zell said something. Squall seemed to be seething. "Uh...that'll be fine then." 

"All right, Miss Tilmitt, we'll reserve a room for you then. Is there anything else?" 

Selphie shook her head. "No...that'll be all...thanks..." Selphie smiled weakly and slowly backed away from the counter. 

"How did it go?" Irvine asked as Selphie reached them. She shook her head. 

"No more rooms." 

"You're kidding me," Squall spat out. "That's it. I'm going home." 

"No!" Selphie shouted. Zell and Irvine immediately grabbed hold of the young captain as he turned to leave. "You can't go! We just got here!" 

"I have no place to sleep," Squall stated blandly as he turned to glare at them. "This was obviously a mistake." 

"Yes, you do! You'll bunk with me!" Zell pleaded. 

At that, Squall annoyed face turned to disturbance as he tore his arm out of Zell's grasp. "I'm going home." he asserted. 

"You can't!" Selphie nearly screamed. Practically everyone in the lobby turned to look at her as the bubbly brunette put her hands on her waist. "The Garden's on lock down for the break! Cid and Edea went to Centra!" 

"WHAT," Squall growled, almost furious. "Why was I not informed?" 

"Because they knew that you'd want to stay and look over the Garden," Irvine sighed. He let of Squall. "Listen, man, the Garden will be fine on it's own. It has the best security around and if anything happens, we'll be the first to know." 

"And you can't get back in because all the key cards have been disabled," Selphie added. "In short, you're stuck with us." 

Squall stared at them in disbelief. "This is a joke." 

Three heads turned from side to side as Squall began to fume. "Sorry..." Zell piped. 

"I am NOT sharing a room with IRVINE and ZELL," Squall growled. "I refuse to walk in on you," he said, pointing at Selphie accusingly. "And HIM," he continued, pointing at Irvine, who shrugged. "AGAIN!" 

"We'll go into Selphie's room then-" Irvine began, but Zell cut him off, looking betrayed. 

"Hey, wait a second, she's rooming with my girlfriend!" Zell countered. "I'm not letting you in the room where MY girlfriend sleeps!" 

"You can have our room." Irvine responded. 

"I'M in the room!" Squall growled. 

"They'll be a free room in two weeks," Selphie butted in. "How about that? Can you bare with us for just two weeks?" 

"No!" Squall gasped, as if shocked at the very idea. "If I can't go back to the Garden, I'll just go to another resort." 

"No! You have to stay here!" Selphie gasped. "This is going to be a vacation for all of us!" 

"I just want to be left alone," Squall grumbled. "I can't believe I let you three talk me into this." 

"It's just for two weeks, Squall." Selphie pleaded. 

"I refuse to spend TWO WEEKS with either of them, let alone share a room with them." Squall grumbled. 

"Then WHERE are you going to stay?" Zell sighed, tiredly. 

"He can stay with me," a voice said behind them. The group turned and Selphie's frowning face turned into a huge smile. Standing there, dressed in dark blue ski pants and a large, puffy, matching dark blue sweater and knit beanie was a brunette with long brown hair. A smile graced their face. "What do you say?" 

Squall took a cautious step back as he paled of all color. "Hell no." 

"Why not!?" the other brunette gasped. "I'm in a suite!" 

"I'm not rooming with YOU!" Squall growled viciously as the brunette took a step forward. 

"Squall, where are you going to stay?" Laguna asked as he crossed his arms. It was only then that Squall noticed Kiros and Ward in the background, talking to two young women in one of the sunken lounges. 

"Not with you, that's for sure." Squall mumbled under his breath as a hardened look went over his face. 

"Squall, come on," Selphie said. "You get to stay in one of the suites!" 

"I don't care," Squall replied coolly. *It's too high a price,* He looked back at his father, who seemed to be grinning madly. *Crazy coot...* 

"Squall, please," Zell sighed. "He's your father." 

"Don't EVER say that..." Squall replied in a cold voice. Laguna looked hurt as his lower lip trembled and he took a step back. 

A white gloved hand was placed on the President's shoulder and he turned around, a bright smile on his face as someone walked up next to him. "I have a better idea," said the brown eyed young woman in the light blue ski suit. "Squall can stay with me in the extra room of MY suite." 

She looked up at him, a warm smile on her face as locks of stray dark brown hair fell over her pale face. Dark brown eyes looked up at him from behind dark lashes. Squall's face immediately went from icy cold to thoughtful and warm. Steel blue eyes locked on to hers. "Rinoa..." he whispered quietly. 

"What do you say?" Rinoa asked as she pulled an extra key from her pocket and winked. "Can't two friends share a room?" 

* * *

"Okay, your room is right here," Rinoa said excitedly as she darted across the large room of the top floor and pointed to the spare bedroom. "You have your own bathroom. The bar is over here and we have a mini gym in this room-" 

"What is Laguna doing here?" Squall asked suddenly. He stood on the foyer of the room, looking into the sunken den area lined with thick white carpet. 

Rinoa paused and looked up at him. "I invited him," she said casually. "He's the one who suggested that I invest in property...well, him and Ellone." 

"I don't understand..." Squall said, trailing off. 

Rinoa sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Squall, just because we broke up doesn't mean I have to cut off all ties with your family," she told him sternly. She shook her head and turned back around, removing her thick jacket and tossing it on the couch in front of the fire place. "Where do you think I stay when I'm in Esthar?" 

*Is she serious?* he thought to himself. Even he would rather get a hotel room rather than spend a weekend at the Presidential palace with his 'father'. 

"So, what do you think?" Rinoa said, throwing her hands in the air as she stood in front of the large window across the room that over looked the slopes. "Will it do for the infamous Captain Squall Leonhart?" 

He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for the CD." 

"You got it!?" she said, her eyes large. "Good! I thought I got the address wrong!" she exclaimed, relieved. "Are you hungry?" 

"It's not even lunch yet." Squall stated. 

"Oh...right..." Rinoa said, looking around the room nervously. "Um...hey, you know tonight, I'm having a dinner to celebrate buying the Ice Crystal. Would you like to...?" 

"No thanks," Squall said as he fell back into the couch. "I was sent on a vacation and I'm going to use it. I'm just going to crash here." 

Rinoa looked away, disappointed. She looked back at the brunette who closed his eyes and put his arms over his head. "Okay then...do you need anything else?" he asked. 

"No, I'm good. I'll just go grab dinner when I wake up. Thanks, though." he said. Rinoa nodded. 

"I'm going back downstairs then." 

"I'll see you later," he assured her. Rinoa picked up her jacket once more and headed towards the door. "Rinoa!" he called out. She whirled around. 

"Yes?" she asked. Squall looked up over the couch and gave her a smile. 

"Thanks for letting me stay here. I think after two weeks I would've killed Irvine and Zell," he told her. "I really appreciate this." 

Rinoa smiled back and nodded. "No problem. What are friends for, right?" 

* * *

His pale fingers turned the strawberry around the hot fudge and lifted it up by it's green stem. Immediately, the chocolate coating hardened into a shell as he lifted it up and pressed it against her pink lips. 

She smiled as she opened her mouth and bit into the juicy fruit. "It's good." 

"That's because I made it." he replied. He tossed the stem of the little red fruit into the fire in front of them as he leaned forward and closed his eyes. 

She giggled just before someone's shout cut through their moment, breaking them apart immediately. "Hey! Quistis! Seifer! What are you two doing here!?" 

Seifer made a fist with his free hand as he took a deep, calming breath. He shot up and turned to glare at Irvine and Selphie as they walked in. "What the hell are you two doing here?" he growled. "This is a PRIVATE VIP lounge!" 

"We know," Selphie piped with a smile. She pointed to the bar. "Laguna brought us with him." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Seifer grumbled. Irvine fell into the sunken couch in front of them, across from the fire place. 

"Wow...comfy..." Irvine said. "Selphie, have a seat!" 

"'Kay!" Selphie smiled, practically jumping into the seat. She bounced up and down on the soft white cushions. "Whoa..." 

Quistis ran her hand down her face as Seifer fell down next to her and tilted his head back. "Err...where is Zell?" 

"He went to pick up his girlfriend from the train station," Selphie said. "So...how have you guys been?" 

Quistis looked at her watch and frowned. "I saw you less than two hours ago." 

"And yet here we are all again!" Selphie said. She sat up straight and looked around like a lost squirrel. "Where are Rinoa and Squall?" 

"Beats the hell out of me." Seifer grumbled, frustrated. Quistis let out an equally frustrated sigh and squeezed his hand. 

"You're her manager, aren't you supposed to know where she is all the time?" Irvine asked. 

"I'm on VACATION," Seifer said. "The only woman I want to know the whereabouts of this whole time is QUISTIS'. And since she's right next to me, I'm trying to concentrate on her." 

Quistis blushed as his arm went around her shoulders and squeezed her. "You two look like you could use some alone time," Quistis stated as she stood up, pulling Seifer with her. "We'll just leave you two alone." 

"No, it's okay-" Selphie began, but Irvine held his hand up to silence her. 

"Selphie, if they want to leave let them," Irvine said. He smirked as he looked up at the two blondes. "Don't hurt yourselves." he winked. 

"Shut up." Seifer growled as he nearly dragged Quistis out of the lounge. 

Selphie looked at Irvine. "You know...I wonder who Squall is doing?" 

* * *

I have no idea where this story is going. -_-;; 


	3. Cutting In

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Three: Cutting In_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: I keep wondering to myself - where am I going with this? I don't know...anyway, Commander is one rank below Captain according to the United States Naval & Coast Guard ranking. (I think... I should check...) Hope that clears that up. And I can't believe I wrote Selphie saying the line...It was supposed to be Irvine... oh well. Let's try and fix that here, shall we? 

* * *

"Hey, guys," a voice said behind them. Selphie and Irvine turned around just as they finished pulling Seifer and Quistis' left over chocolate and strawberries towards them. "Where's Zell?" 

As she fell into a spot next to them, Selphie popped a plain strawberry in her mouth. "He went to pick up his girlfriend from the library," Selphie mumbled out as she chewed. "He'll be back later." 

"What are you doing down here?" Irvine asked as he leaned back against the soft cushions. Selphie dunked a whole strawberry into the melted chocolate and lifted it up, grinning as she blew it before putting it into her mouth. "Aren't you supposed to be upstairs with Squall?" He gave her a suggestive wink and Rinoa rolled her eyes. 

"Whatever you were thinking, the answer is none of your business," Rinoa said, grabbing a strawberry for herself. "He fell on the couch in the den and went to sleep..." 

"I knew it," Irvine told Selphie in a low voice. "You know he wouldn't do that. He's too uptight." 

"Do what?" Rinoa asked. "What are you talking about?" 

"Selphie thought you two would be doing it by now-" 

"I never said that!" Selphie piped, her eyes wide. She nearly jumped at Rinoa. "I swear, Rin! I didn't say anything like that!" 

"Oh, yes you did," Irvine replied. He sat up straight. "Let me quote you. 'Irvine, I wonder WHO Squall is doing.'" 

"Selphie!" Rinoa gasped in shock. 

"Irvine!" Selphie gasped, slapping him in the shoulder. 

"Rinoa...?" Irvine said, nudging his head to Selphie. "See?" 

"I meant to say what was he doing with YOU? I meant like something sweet and romantic!" Selphie frowned. "It was a slip!" 

"Right..." Irvine said. He put his arm around Selphie's shoulder. "I see I've finally reached you." 

Selphie grumbled and casually slipped out of his arms, much to Irvine's displeasure. Rinoa sighed and leaned back against her chair. "I'm glad to see you guys," she admitted quietly. "I haven't been with friends like this in a long time." 

"Now you'll have plenty of time!" Selphie exclaimed as she shoved Irvine out of the way. He let out a grunt as he was pushed aside. "We're staying for THREE weeks! We'll go skiing and boarding and go play a round of golf! We'll have meals together and just hang out, just like when you were at the Garden!" 

Rinoa smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah..." she said softly. "I miss those days..." 

"Hey, do you still have Angelo?" Selphie piped. 

"Of course!" Rinoa said. "She's asleep in my room, right now." 

* * *

He felt a warm, wet tongue, caressing his face. He turned his head to the side, only to feel it continue. He let out a grumble. *Those dreams with Rinoa are getting a little too life like for my own good...* he thought to himself as he finally opened his eyes. 

Squall finally opened his eyes and looked into two familiar dark eyes. "ANGELO!?" he nearly screamed as he jumped back on the couch. The dog gave a bark and sat down next to the chair, wagging her tail happily. Squall tilted his head. "Hey...how are you doing, girl?" he said as he scratched the dog behind her ear. "Rin still brings you everywhere, huh?" 

"Woof!" Angelo replied. Squall smiled slightly. 

"I forgot that's the way you wake us up," he chuckled. "Are you taking care of Rin?" 

Angelo tilted her head to the side and seemed to think for a moment, before barking slightly. Squall sat up and looked around the room. He hadn't gotten a very good look at it earlier, as he had gone straight to sleep. 

They were on the top floor, in the personal living suite of the owner. It had two bedrooms, one of which was the guest room. There was a small kitchen complete with some appliances. He let out a whistle as he stretched and looked around. He saw some flowers on the counter and walked over. 

There were over a dozen different bouquets, all with cards attached to them. From the covers of the cards, they seemed to be some sort of house warming gift for buying the resort. He felt something tug at his pant leg and looked down. Angelo whined a bit and tugged on his pant leg once more before going over to the trash bin and barking. 

Squall narrowed his eyes. "What's that?" he asked as he followed the dog. He knelt down to the metal bin and saw some stems sticking out. "Roses...?" Red roses. A dozen of them. He picked it up. "Did they fall?" He looked up, but found that there was wasn't a fallen vase near by and he frowned. As he lifted the flowers, a piece of paper fell out. 

He looked around cautiously before picking it up and reading it. His eyes narrowed and he frowned. *Rinoa's ex-boyfriend...that race car driver I read about...* he thought to himself as he disdainfully threw the piece of paper away. 

After Rinoa hit it big with a remake of her mother's song and her platinum album, she had been linked with several other celebrities. Actors, singers, and athletes. For some reason, Selphie kept insisting that those were just made up and that Rinoa hadn't gotten a new boyfriend. 

But whenever he happened to stumble upon some award show or entertainment program on tv, Rinoa was on the arm of some too good looking to be real hunk, looking like she was having a ball. Of course, after she hired Seifer and his posse, he'd also see the three of them hanging around her with a watchful eye, like her bodyguards. 

Suddenly, Angelo began to bark and Squall turned around. He heard the door unlocking and looked around nervously before diving back on the couch just as the door opened. Rinoa froze at the door way and looked around. 

"Hmm..." she mumbled to herself. "Angelo!" she called out in a low voice. "Angelo, c'mon, don't bother Squall." Angelo tilted her head to the side, not understanding. 

"Do what mommy says, Angelo," Squall's voice said from the couch as he sat up and rubbed his arm. He had landed wrong on the couch. "Don't bother daddy right now." 

Angelo gave a bark and trotted back into Rinoa's bedroom. Rinoa smiled. "She still thinks your her daddy. Even after all these years." 

Squall merely shrugged. "So where have you been?" 

"I was in the lounge for a few hours with Selphie and Irvine. Zell got back with his girlfriend," Rinoa said as she joined him on the touch. She lifted up a remote and turned on the fire place in front of them. "They make such a cute couple!" 

"He's close to asking her to marry him," Squall told her. He looked down at her. "But don't tell him I told you." 

"Gotcha," Rinoa said. "Did you have a good nap?" 

"I'm all rested," Squall said. "When is your dinner?" 

"Two hours," Rinoa shrugged. "I have plenty of time to get ready. Are you sure you don't want to come?" she asked again. 

Squall was sitting several spaces from her and was leaning against the side. "Nah," he shrugged. He leaned against the side, his arms stretched out behind the couch. Rinoa looked back at him, studying his face as the fire dance in front of them. "I'm going to get myself settled in later." 

"Oh..." she said. "That's cool." He hadn't really changed much. His hair was the same, but his face was a little older. His body bulked up a bit. It was still lean, but obviously defined. He probably hadn't shaved for a few days, as he had more than a five o'clock shadow on him. It made him look ruggedly handsome. 

Squall looked over at Rinoa as she hugged a pillow on her lap and stared back into the fire. She had removed her beanie to reveal her layered dark brown hair, with her signature blond streaks in her bangs. She had physically matured somewhat since he last saw her in person. 

"Tomorrow, you want to go snow boarding?" Squall asked. 

"Can't," Rinoa sighed. "I have meetings tomorrow with the board that runs the resort. Then I have a fundraising evening that evening." 

"The day after?" Squall suggested. 

"Benefit mini-concert for music in schools in town." 

"Oh..." 

"But I'm free that evening!" Rinoa said, rather loudly. Squall turned to look at her as she blushed slightly. "I mean...you know...if you're not busy." 

"Rinoa," he said with a slight smile. "I'm on vacation. I have plenty of time." 

"Well, yeah, but you might want to just take it easy," Rinoa stated. "So...dinner?" 

"I heard you have a movie theater here somewhere," Squall said. "Mind if we check it out?" 

"Sounds good to me!" Rinoa said with a bright smile. "I'm glad we're hanging out again. I miss everyone back at the Garden. How are Cid and Edea doing?" 

"They're doing good," Squall replied. "They went to Centra for the break." 

"That's nice. They should get a vacation once in a while, too..." she said, trailing off. "So why'd you decide to come here?" 

"I didn't," Squall stated, rather annoyed with the reason. "I was forced to take a break. Basically, a few days ago, Cid sent me note that I was to go on break in Trabia. When we got here, it turns out he put the Garden on lock down and now no one can go back. Including me." 

Rinoa giggled. "So they really wanted you to take a vacation, huh?" she said with a smile. "You must've really been swamped with work lately." 

"Which is why I don't see why they made me take a break!" Squall gasped out. "I had work to do!" 

"They wanted you to take a break so you didn't wear yourself out," Rinoa said as she turned to look at him. "They're just looking out for you." 

Squall grumbled and Rinoa sighed. "I saw your flowers there," he said casually. "Had I know that you just bought the Ice Crystal and that you were still here, I would've gotten you a little present." 

"Aww..." Rinoa said with a slight blush. "That's okay. I have flowers to last me a life time." 

"I read somewhere that you got a part in a movie," Squall said. "I think Selphie showed it to me." 

"Oh yeah...it was a small part," Rinoa shrugged. "I'm surprised you keep track of me. I thought you'd be too busy..." she laughed nervously. 

"What can I say?" Squall said. "I'm a big fan," Rinoa smiled brightly. "So what's the part?" 

"It's just a walk on," Rinoa sighed. "I play the waitress at the diner." 

"That's still something. I've never been in a movie." Squall said. 

Rinoa's eyes went wide. "Hey! I'm shooting a music video next weekend for my next single. I already asked Selphie and Irvine and Zell and his girlfriend if they wanted to be extras and they said yes. Why don't you join us?" 

"Uh...no thanks..." Squall said. 

"Come on," Rinoa urged. "It'll be fun! I promise!" 

"Just a walk on?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded. 

"I swear you won't have any lines or anything. You can remain anonymous." Rinoa promised. Squall narrowed his eyes, but nodded. 

"All right," he said. "It'll be here?" 

"Yep," Rinoa said. "I'm so excited! I'll tell Fujin to make sure it'll be okay. Seifer's off, so I can't get him to do it." 

"So what do Fujin and Raijin do?" Squall asked. "If Seifer is your manager, what about the other two?" 

"Raijin is our usual driver and Fujin is the assistant. And all three of them make up my body guard unit." she chuckled. 

"Body guard? Since when?" 

Rinoa's smile slowly faded and smiled weakly. "Um...a few years ago...just after I hired them." 

Squall nodded. "I see...Seifer seems to be doing good these days." 

"Yeah, I sent tickets to my concert by Balamb when Seifer first started being my manager. Quistis and Zell's girlfriend came since you guys were on a mission," Rinoa explained. "We haven't had a concert near by lately. I'll have to speak to Seifer about that." 

"I'm a bit surprised that Quistis is going out with Seifer. It seems like a lot of trouble. He's always traveling and she's working elsewhere..." Squall said. 

Rinoa shrugged. "They make it work," Rinoa sighed. "I try to make sure that Seifer has a lot of days off...otherwise, he'll complain. Sometimes, we fly Quistis to our location." 

"Really?" Squall said. He thought about it for a moment and realized just how true it was. Sometimes, Quistis was gone on the weekends and Selphie just said she went to visit her boyfriend. 

"Yeah, and you know that Raijin and Fujin are going to get married?" Rinoa asked. Squall looked slightly surprised. 

"Since when?" 

"Two months ago," Rinoa said. "I have their wedding present all planned out," she said gleefully. "It's a flat in Deling City. It's really nice and in a good location. Fujin was really excited when I bought it, so I thought it would be a nice starter home for them." 

"You're doing that well, huh?" Squall asked. "I'm glad your happy." 

"Oh yeah, I'm totally happy!" Rinoa assured him. "It's kind of stressing, but it's fun. I just wish I could hang out like this with everyone more often." 

"We should then," Squall told her. "Next time, you have to fly us all over to your location." 

"That's not a bad idea," Rinoa said. "You have to come, though. Even if it is all of a sudden." 

Squall chuckled and nodded. "Sure." 

"Great!" Rinoa said. She looked at her watch. "Okay, I have to go make some phone calls then get ready for the dinner. Are you sure you don't want to come?" she asked as stood up. Squall nodded. "Okay..." 

* * *

"What do you mean you're not going to come to dinner!?" Selphie shrieked into Squall's ear through the telephone. He held the phone a foot from his ear as he winced. "We're all going to be there!!" 

"Selphie, this is my vacation and I just want to rest. No formal events. If I'm going to do something, it'll be because I want to." Squall said as he laid across his bed with the phone in one hand. 

"But, SQUALL!!" Selphie piped. He heard someone talking to her. "Here's Quistis!" 

"Squall, you get your butt down here!" Quistis said. "It's our first night together here and we should all have dinner together! We're all sitting with Rinoa, so you won't be uncomfortable." 

"I just don't want to go, Quistis," Squall said. "End of discussion. You guys can tell me how it's like." 

"You're so stubborn..." Quistis sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "Fine, sit there and 'rest'." 

"Thank you," Squall said. "Good night." He hung up the phone and let out a deep breath. Down stairs, Quistis looked at the group that had congregated around the courtesy phone in the lobby by the dining hall. 

"He's not coming." Quistis stated. 

"Oh great!" Selphie grumbled. She crossed her arm over the little black, strapless dress that she was wearing. The event was formal and required black and white attire. 

Quistis wore a long, flowing mermaid dress with one strap over her left shoulder and black gloves up to her arms that matched the fabric and color of her dress. She wore a diamond choker and her blond hair was up in a tight bun. 

"Go inside?" Fujin suggested. She was wearing a long sleeve, high collared black dress that reached her knees. She wore a sheer, black duster over the dress that reached her ankles and flowed out when she walked. 

"We should go to the table, ya know." Raijin said. He was leaning against his crutch while he was dressed in a black tux, like Seifer and Zell. Irvine opted for a nice three piece suit with his black cowboy hat. 

"Should we wait for Rinoa?" Zell's girlfriend asked. She was wearing an black dress with a halter style neck line that reached her feet. 

"She'll meet us inside," Seifer said as he looked at his watch. "All right, let's go in." 

The group headed into the dining hall while back upstairs, Rinoa put on dangling diamond earrings and looked at herself in the mirror. Subtle make-up, her hair in an updo, as her white dress reached the floor. It seemed to be a long piece of silken white material that wrapped around her upper body and lazily fell to the floor as if she were melting from the snow. 

A few white crystal pins decorated her hair as she pulled the long white gloves up her arms. As soon as they were on, she put on her white heels and opened her doors. "Squall!" she said as she put her usual silver necklace around her neck. "Squall, can you do me a favor?" 

"What is it?" Squall said from his room. He got off his bed and opened the door. Rinoa was standing with her back to him, Angelo at her heels. His eyes went wide as they went up her body, studying her. 

"Can you give Angelo her doggy treats?" Rinoa asked as she turned around. "They're on the counter in the kitchen. You need to give her four pieces, okay?" 

"All right..." Squall said, nodding as his eyes studied her once more. 

Rinoa blushed under his gaze. "What do you think?" she asked. "Do I look okay? I'll be meeting some of the board members tonight and I want to look my best." 

"You look beautiful." Squall told her as he stood at his doorway. Rinoa flushed and nodded. 

"Well...uh..." she looked around and grabbed the white purse on the couch. "I'll be going now. I'll see you when I see you!" She said with a warm smile. She scratched Angelo behind the hear as she walked past her. 

She walked out the door and clicked to lock behind her. Squall looked down at Angelo, who had sat down in front of him. "I should've gone with her, huh?" 

"Woof." 

* * *

Rinoa walked into the room, giving off an air of grace and composure as she glided through the dining room, occasionally stopping to greet guests, before reaching her table with her friends. 

"Hey!" Rinoa said as sat down. She gave Quistis a hug, as she hadn't seen her yet. "How is everything so far?" 

"Some board members stopped by to ask for you," Seifer told her. "You have to go and greet them later." 

"Got it." 

"Ordered already," Fujin said. "For you." 

"Oh, okay, what did you order?" Rinoa asked. 

"Salad, smoked salmon." Fujin replied. 

"Great! Thanks, guys," Rinoa sighed. "Well, let's get this party started!" 

* * *

Squall lifted the razor to his shaving cream covered face and began to shave off the stubble. A towel was wrapped around his waist as he looked at his reflection on the steamy mirror. As soon as he was done, he rinsed off the razor and headed out to his room. 

Angelo was asleep on his bed, next to the formal SeeD uniform he always brought with him, in case of emergencies. He tossed his towel over one of the chairs in the room and grabbed his boxers. *I shouldn't have spent an hour wondering if I should go or not...* he thought to himself. 

Within ten minutes, he was ready to go. He looked at himself in the mirror and straightened the front of his uniform with a tug. He took a deep breath as he ran his hand over his damp brown hair. He grabbed the key to the room and headed to the kitchen. 

He quickly looked for Angelo's treats. When he found them, he put four in the dog's bowl before putting on his shoes and heading out the door. 

* * *

Seifer danced with Quistis around the dance floor in the dining hall, as all around them, their friends danced in couples. Rinoa was talking with some of the board members to the side. 

The soft ballads played by a small orchestra in the corner echoed through the hall as slightly dimmed lights provided a nice setting. Quistis let out a content sigh as she leaned against Seifer's chest. "Don't get too comfortable," Seifer whispered in her ear. "We're going to leave in a moment." 

"Hmmm?" Quistis asked. She looked up at him. "Why?" 

"Let's just say, I have a surprise for you." Seifer smirked, his eyes twinkling. Quistis gave him a suspicious look. 

"If better not be like your LAST surprise," Quistis stated. "Frankly, Seifer, seeing you like THAT is no longer a surprise." 

Seifer rolled his eyes. "What do you take me for? I have a sleigh ride ready for you." 

"Really!?" Quistis gasped. "That's so sweet!" 

"But if you want to skip it and go straight to the fun stuff..." he smirked. Quistis slapped his chest gently. 

She smirked back at him. "Between the two, I'd have to say that the sleigh ride is much more fun." 

"Hey..." 

Rinoa nodded her head and smiled as she shook one of the board member's hands. "Thank you for your support. I'm glad I can leave the resort in such capable hands." 

"Thank you, Miss Heartilly," one of the told her. The man who she was talking to was probably just a few years older than her and blushed sheepishly. "I'm a huge fan of yours." 

"Oh, thank you!" Rinoa smiled brightly. 

"I was wondering if you would give me the honor of dancing with you?" he asked, reluctantly. 

Rinoa smiled and offered hand. "Of course!" she said. He lead her on to the dance floor just as Quistis and Seifer snuck out. 

She smiled at Selphie and Irvine as the unorthodox couple rushed through their dance happily. Zell and his girlfriend were bit more traditional in slow dancing. Rinoa turned her attention back to her dance partner and put one hand on his shoulder and took his other hand. His hand nervously placed itself on her hips. 

"Umm...so...are you currently seeing anyone?" the young man asked. 

Rinoa thought for a moment. "Not really..." Rinoa said. "I haven't been in a serious relationship since I was twenty." 

"I heard you attended one of the Gardens," he said. "Which one?" 

"Oh, I lived with my boyfriend in Balamb Garden," Rinoa said. "I mean...my old boyfriend." 

"Oh, so why did you break up with him?" he asked. 

"We didn't really break up," Rinoa said thoughtfully. "We sort of just drifted apart..." As she tried to explain a set of blue eyes focused on her. 

The young captain walked through the dining hall attracting looks from women all around the room. He sensed himself hesitant, but quickly shoved that feeling down as he walked on to the dance floor. He hadn't spent one agonizing hour wondering if he should even go and then another few minutes getting ready just so he could back down now. No, he was going to get what he came for. Rinoa. 

She didn't seem to notice him as she talked aimlessly to the man she was dancing to. *She never talked to me like that when we danced...* he thought to himself. *She was never stood that far from me, either...* 

"But we're still friends," Rinoa said. "Which I'm glad we are." 

The young man smiled weakly. "You sound like you still love him." 

Rinoa looked at him, surprised. "Of course I still love him," Rinoa stated. "I never stopped." 

Suddenly, she felt someone tap on her on the shoulder and turned around, her eyes wide. "Excuse me, but may I cut in?" 

"Squall..." Rinoa whispered. 

"Um...well..." the young board member stammered nervously. Squall's piercing gaze was making him uncomfortable. Even though he wanted to say no, he couldn't bring himself to. 

"Oh, this is him!" Rinoa said. "Captain Squall Leonhart from Balamb Garden!" she said with a wide smile. "I haven't had a chance to dance with him yet." 

"Oh..." the board member looked at Squall, who held his hand out to take Rinoa's. Reluctantly, he gave Rinoa's hand to Squall and stepped back. "Thank you for the dance, Miss Heartilly." 

"Thank you for offering," Rinoa said as she placed her other hand on Squall's shoulder. She stepped closer to him, bringing her body against Squall as she leaned her head against his shoulder. The board member smiled and left the dance floor. Rinoa looked up at Squall. "I thought you weren't going to come?" 

"I changed my mind," Squall shrugged as they danced in a slow circle. "Besides... I was bored without you." 

"So you missed me?" Rinoa egged on. Squall looked down at her and kissed her forehead softly. 

"Yeah, actually, I did." 

* * *

Okay, I might have a plot somewhere. It's still kind of hazy and I kind of want to take the story down, but I want to finish it. But I don't know what else to do? This story has no point. It's just pure fluff...gack...-.-;; 


	4. Some Alone Time

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Four: Some Alone Time_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Thanks for the reviews, guys, but don't worry, I won't take it down. I've started it so I shall end it. ^_^ 

* * *

"Squall! You're up already?" Rinoa gasped as she stumbled out of her room. According to her clock, it was still six thirty in the morning. She was dressed in matching light blue pajamas with white snow flake prints on them. Her hair was braided and loose down her back. 

"I've been up since five," the brunette doing push ups on the den floor replied as sweat that had collected from his morning work out collected at his temples. He was wearing a loose black shirt and black track pants as a dark blue towel laid in a pile to his right. "I couldn't get back to sleep so I took advantage of your little gym." 

"Oh..." Rinoa said. She passed by the room to see that the punching bag in the corner had obviously taken a good beating recently. *No wonder he has such defined arms...* "Did you eat breakfast yet?" 

"No," Squall said. He stopped in mid push up and jumped up. As he stretched his body, he glanced over at her. "Do you want me to make something?" 

"No! No!" Rinoa gasped. "It's YOUR vacation," she insisted as she scrambled to the phone. "I'll just order something from the kitchen." 

"It's all right, Rin," Squall said as he passed her. He put his towel around his neck as he headed for the kitchen. "I know full well you have food here." 

"Squall, really," Rinoa insisted. "I don't want you to-" 

"Do you have to leave early?" He asked as he headed straight for the coffee maker. He turned to look at her as he grabbed the pile of filters and began to take one from the top. 

Rinoa shook her head slightly. "I'm leaving with Fujin at nine-" 

"Than we have time to eat breakfast," Squall insisted. He began measuring the coffee. "Go take your morning shower. I'll have breakfast ready by then." 

Rinoa raised an eyebrow in question and nodded. "Okay..." she murmured. She smiled brightly. "I'll see you in a bit then!" She turned and headed back to her room as Squall began to rummage through the kitchen. As she closed the door, she giggled to herself. *He really knows my habits...I really miss that...* 

Outside, Squall waited until the door was closed and he heard the shower start. He let out a sigh of relief and closed the fridge door. He headed towards the phone and picked it up. "Hello? Room service?" 

* * *

"Cross country skiing!" the male blond said as he held the resort catalogue up for Quistis to see. 

"Uh...no...what about ice skating!?" Quistis said as she pointed to the next option. Seifer put on a disgusted look and pulled the catalogue back. 

"Hyne, no!" 

"Fine..." 

"Ice HOCKEY." he smirked. 

"No." Quistis rolled her eyes and elbowed him slightly. She was wearing a dark red night gown while Seifer wore black pajamas. 

Seifer frowned and looked down at her. "Why not?" 

"You know damn well why not." she replied as she looked up at him. They were laying in the bed, Seifer sitting up against the head board with one arm around Quistis' slim shoulders as the female blond leaned her head against his shoulder and looked over the catalogue with him. 

"Fine," Seifer grumbled. They had been up for thirty minutes trying to decide what they could do for the day. "What about golf?" 

"Oh, please," Quistis chuckled. "We both know you can't even play a round of mini golf without breaking the putter and screaming profane words at the ball." 

"That only happened ONCE." Seifer insisted. 

"We only did it ONCE." 

"..." Seifer frowned. "What about the snow man building contest?" 

Quistis sighed. "That's for CHILDREN." 

"That means we'll win against those kids!" Seifer exclaimed. Quistis groaned and tilted her head back against his arm. "Well, do you have any other ideas or do you just way to lay in bed all day? Because you know I'm all for that." 

"Okay, you pick today and I'll pick tomorrow and we'll alternate. How's that?" Quistis asked. Seifer mulled over the idea for a moment and nodded. 

"All right..." Seifer said. "So today I'll pick?" She nodded. He turned his green eyes back to the catalogue and narrowed them. "All right...I want to try 'Introduction to Ice Sculpting'." 

"Okay then," Quistis said. "And tomorrow, we'll go ice skating." Seifer scowled. 

"Fine..." 

"Okay, let's get out of bed and get going then! After that, we can come back, relax in the hot tub and eat dinner." Quistis said. Seifer smirked at the idea and nodded. 

"Sounds good to me." 

* * *

"Mmm...Squall, you've really improved," Rinoa said as she swallowed the last of her breakfast. She leaned back against her chair and smiled brightly. "I remember when you used to burn everything you touched!" 

"Yeah..." Squall said weakly as he sipped his coffee. *I have to pay that bill before she finds out...* 

"I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say this food is from the hotel kitchen!" she chuckled. Squall froze in his seat. 

"Are...are you underestimating my cooking abilities?" he asked, trying to sound offended. Rinoa shook her head. 

"No," she giggled. "I'm really happy you cooked." She blushed and Squall nodded slightly. 

*Damn, she knows how to pile on the guilt.* 

Rinoa looked at her wrist watch. "Ugh...I have to get going. I have to meet Fujin in the lobby. I'll be back late." 

"You don't have to tell me." 

"Right...right..." Rinoa trailed off. She blushed and stood up, brushing off her clothes. Squall stood up when she did. "Well, I'll see you." 

She grabbed her dark blue blazer that she would wear over her knee length skirt and white blouse before grabbing her purse. Squall stood by the door, giving her a warm smile before she left. "Be careful," he told her, just like the many times she had left when she was just starting out as a singer. They stood in front of each other for a few seconds. *Hyne...this is usually where we kiss...* 

*This is usually when we kiss each other good-bye...* Rinoa thought to herself as she found herself slowly drawing towards his gorgeous blue eyes. 

"Uh..." his voice said, cutting through thoughts. "Don't you have to go meet Fujin?" 

The spell was broken and Rinoa shook herself out of her daydream. She gave him a weak smile as she struggled to suppress her blush. "Right!" she said. "Bye then!" 

Before she could stop herself once more, she turned and flew out the door, clutching her purse against her chest. She could feel her entire face burning with embarrassment as she chided herself. They were no longer together. She shouldn't expect that from him. 

Squall slowly closed the door to their suite. It clicked, meaning it locked behind him. He leaned back against it and let out a deep breath. After a few moments, he stood straight up. *A cold shower it is.* 

* * *

Quistis stared at the large block of ice in front of her, a confused look on her face as she held a hammer and an large chistle in her gloved hands. She looked to her left and saw Seifer, wielding Hyperion, as he sliced through his block of ice with an almost boyish glee. 

*It would be so cute if he didn't look like he was hacking someone to bits...* she thought to herself with a sigh. *Oh well...at least we're spending time together.* 

"Hey!" Quistis froze at the sound of that all too familiar word spoken by that all too familiar voice. "You guys are taking Intro to Ice Sculpting, too!?" 

"Selphie, what are you doing here!?" Quistis gasped as she whirled to her right and saw Selphie standing there on the next table. Irvine was lugging a large block of ice towards them while Selphie held their tools. 

"I always wanted to try this!" Selphie said. "What are you guys doing afterwards?" 

Quistis' heart raced as sweat began to form on her forehead. While she loved Selphie and the others like family, she had reserved this time for Seifer. She looked over to her left once more. Seifer was still violently destroying the ice block. 

"Uh...what are YOU doing next?" Quistis asked as she noticed several people looking at Seifer strangely. Several others were moving their tables further from them. 

"Irvy and I are going to take cross country skiing lessons!" Selphie piped. 

"I don't need them," Irvine stated casually as he wiped his hands together after placing the block of ice on the table. Out of no where, he suddenly lifted up Exeter and winked at Selphie. "You watchin'? Check this out." 

Quistis knew where this was leading. Irvine lifted the gun up and began shooting the ice block. All around them, people screamed and ducked from the sounds of bullets as chunks of ice flew through the air. Seifer immediately grabbed Quistis as soon as he heard the first gun shot and covered her body with his. 

"Yay!" Selphie's voice was heard cheering. Quistis looked back up. Selphie, in her yellow ski suit, was jumping up and down cheerfully as Irvine blew the smoking barrel of his gun. 

Seifer shot up and immediately began to yell. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Can't you see you're in a public area!? And that this NOT the way you're supposed to make an ice sculpture!" 

Irvine merely smirked and turned the table around. "You obviously haven't see the results." The sparkling piece of frozen water was in the shape of Selphie's head. She had bullets for eyes, nose, and smile while her hair was shot roughly into her upturned hair style. 

"Okay, I have to admit - that is somewhat impressive." Quistis said as she looked over the statue. Selphie was talking to one of the shaken participants of the class about taking a picture of her and Irvine next to her ice sculpture bust with her digital camera. 

Seifer snorted. "You think THAT'S good?" He walked back to his table and turned it around. "This is what Hyperion can do." 

*Oh, Hyne...* Quistis said with a frown as she looked at the strangely cut, jagged pieces of ice that looked like a mop head. *Tell me that's not...* 

"It's Quistis!" Seifer announced. He looked towards his girlfriend and gave her a proud smile. "What do you think? True to life, right? I know..." As he put his hand on the Quistis ice sculpture's head, what Quistis assumed was supposed to be her pinned back hair fell. 

Behind her, Irvine was struggling to suppress his laugh as Selphie took a picture of the bust. Meanwhile, Quistis dragged her hand down her face. Slowly, the class instructor approached them. "Um...I hate to disturb you in the middle of...uh... class," he began stammering nervously. "But I think it would benefit the other students if you would all leave." 

"But I haven't even started on my project!" Quistis gasped. 

"PLEASE." the instructor pleaded. Quistis put her head down as she placed the unused tools on the table. Seifer put one arm around Quistis' shoulder. 

"It's okay, Quistis," he said with a smile. "We can always take a later class." 

* * *

"Introduction to Ice Sculpting..." Quistis said as she read the words scrolling across the one of the screens in the lounge. "Canceled until further notice..." *Why am I not surprised...* She looked down at the catalogue and crossed out the class. 

A mug of hot chocolate was put in front of her and she looked up. Seifer was standing there, smiling warmly at her as he lifted up another catalogue. She raised an eyebrow in question as he sat down across from her. "I found something else we could try." 

"What?" Quistis asked. She took a small sip of her hot chocolate before looked over at him. He showed her an opened page and she gave him a confused look. "Are you serious?" 

* * *

_An Hour Later..._

"Welcome to The Ice Crystal Resort! Just so you all know, this is couples ice skating! Today we'll practice skating as one!" said the flamboyantly dressed ice skating instructor. 

Quistis let out a content smile. *Finally...something sweet and romantic.* 

"We'll start off with simply holding hands and skating next to each other!" The instructor told them. "Will the couples please hold hands!" 

Quistis barely moved her hand an inch, when Seifer's warm gloved one went over hers. She looked straight ahead, struggling to repress her blush as the taller blond moved over to her. "Surprised?" he asked, obviously pleased with himself. 

Quistis giggled slightly and nodded. "Yeah...you picked something normal." 

"Funny..." 

"Okay, now we'll start off with the left leg first. Try to keep in sync with your partner," All around them, couples let out laughs and groans as they struggled to move as one. A few couples fell down, laughing as they landed on each other. "Don't be afraid to fall! Everyone falls!" 

"Psst...not us!" Seifer snorted. He turned to Quistis. "Let's show these amateurs how WE do it BEST!" 

Quistis' blue eyes nearly fell out of her head as she was tugged forward. "Seifer! Seifer, wait! Slow down!" she screamed as they jetted ahead of the other couples. Seifer had a defiant look on his face as he grabbed Quistis and pulled her closer. "Seifer, we should slow down!" 

"Why?" he asked as they glided gracefully along the ice of the indoor ice rink. "You're doing fine, baby!" 

"Wait!" the instructor yelled behind them. "Don't go into the other half of the rink!!" 

"Seifer, we should turn around!" Quistis shouted as they skated towards the other end. 

"What? Why?" Seifer asked, not concerned as he looked down at her. 

"WATCH OUT!!" a voice shouted. Quistis looked up from Seifer's head to the area in front of them and screamed. 

Seifer turned his head. *CRACK!* 

As if in slow motion, the tall blond was knocked off his feet, letting go of Quistis, as he fell on his back. A hand sized black object had slammed into his face, luckily in a less wind resistant angle. Quistis skidded to a stop and quickly turned to him. 

"Seifer!?" she screamed as she skated back. "Seifer!?" 

The puck slowly fell off his face as blood dripped from the man's nose. Seifer himself felt pulsing pain through his head as Quistis knelt down next to him. 

"Oh my Hyne!" a voice screamed. "I'm so sorry!!" 

Quistis looked up and saw Zell and his girlfriend skate up to them, each holding hockey sticks. "Oh, damn!" Zell yelled as he looked over at his girlfriend. The girl, dressed in neon pink dropped her hockey stick as she covered her mouth. 

"I'm so sorry!!" she gasped once more. "I didn't see him coming! He just darted out right in front of us!" 

"What's going on here-oh, shit!" 

"Instructor," Zell said as their instructor came forward. "We didn't see him coming." 

"I told you not to go to this half of the rink!" the ice skating instructor said as he skated. "They're having Intro to Hockey on this half!" 

"I don't care! Someone call the paramedics!" Quistis gasped. She held Seifer's hand as the other blond conked out. "Seifer!?" 

* * *

He let out a heavy groan and winced. His head was pounding and pain throbbed right over his nose. "What the hell's going on...?" he grumbled as he attempted to sit up. 

"Don't move," Quistis told him with a tired sigh as she lifted an ice pack over his head. "You were hit by a puck." 

"WHAT?" he asked, wincing as he tried to move his head to look at her. 

"A hockey puck. You were hit by a hockey puck..." Quistis sighed. "By Zell's girlfriend..." 

"What...? LIBRARY GIRL?" he gasped. "I was knocked out by LIBRARY GIRL?" He sounded more disgusted with himself than anything else. Quistis merely nodded. 

"On the other side of the rink they were having intro to ice hockey," Quistis said as she finished changing his ice packs. "Which is why our instructor told us not to go to that side." 

"A bit too late..." he grumbled. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "What time is it?" 

Quistis glanced at that clock by her side of the bed. "Just past five." 

"Already? How long was I out?" 

"Three hours." 

"Great..." Seifer snorted. 

"I had to call Irvine and Selphie so that he and Zell could carry you up here," Quistis said. "I didn't know that his girlfriend could hit so hard." 

"I assure you, she hits REALLY hard," Seifer grumbled. "Damn...it hurts like a bitch." 

"The doctor at the medical center prescribed some pain killers," Quistis said. She reached over to the counter and lifted up a plastic bottle. "He said to give you two every four hours when you wake up. You can stop taking them when the pain is gone." 

"Any indication of WHEN the hell that will be?" Seifer asked. 

Quistis opened the bottle and took out two pills. "Here...can you sit up?" 

"I'll try...AH!" 

"Okay, okay...here let me help!" Quistis sighed. She put the two little white pills on the counter and tried to help him up. Seifer groaned and complained the whole time, but was finally able to sit up slightly and leaned against the head board. "Here..." She handed him the two pills and a glass of water with a straw. Seifer popped the pills and then took a long sip of water. 

"I would sue Library Girl if I didn't sign that waver when we took the class..." Seifer stated. 

Quistis rolled her eyes. "She has a NAME, honey." 

"Yeah? What is it then?" he said as his green eyes looked over to her. In the dim light, he could make out Quistis' face as it went from bored to confused. "You don't know, do you?" 

"I...um...damn..." 

"Forget it," Seifer grumbled. "I'm going to tell you right now. You can forget about ice skating tomorrow." 

"I know...you might not be able to walk steadily for a day or two," Quistis said with a smirk, earning her a glare. She gently reached out and pushed his hair back. "Do you need anything?" 

"More pain killers." 

"Seifer..." 

"I don't know..." Seifer grumbled. "Now what are we going to do? We're going to miss the buffet! You know they have all you can eat sea food just twice a week!" 

Quistis rolled her eyes. "I've ordered in," she said. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Don't worry about dinner." 

Seifer sighed and reached out, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry...looks like we can't go to the spa." 

Quistis grinned. "I'm sorry, I think you mean YOU can't go to the spa." 

Seifer raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously. "What are you implying?" 

Quistis stood up and took a step back. "I'll see you at seven for dinner." 

"Wait...Quisty..." he began to plead as he reached over to her. She gave him a slight wave before heading towards the living room of their suite. "That's not funny!!" 

* * *

_Two Hours Later..._

"It was just a joke..." Quistis said as Seifer laid down across her lap, looking like a helpless dog being petted by their master. "C'mon...let it go...I didn't really leave." 

"You left the room." Seifer mumbled. Quistis gently stroked his hair as she took a sip from her glass of wine. 

"I was waiting for dinner to come." 

"Why did it take an hour then?" Seifer pouted. 

"Because I ordered a little of everything. Now stop complaining." 

"Why should it?" 

"Because we don't spend enough time together as it is...let's just enjoy a little peace and quiet while we're here," Quistis said. *So shut up already.* 

He grumbled and closed his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if you set it up so I'd get hit with a puck just so we can spend a quiet evening together." 

Quistis smirked as she looked away. "Well...I guess you'll never know." 

* * *

Squall laid on his bed. He had spent most of the day in the suite. After Rinoa had left, he took a rather long cold shower and left to go pay the bill before Rinoa got back and found out. 

As soon as he reached the lobby, he was spotted by the last person in the world he wanted to see. "SON!!" 

"No..." He turned around slowly and paled as he saw the neon green dressed President of Esthar running towards him, arms extended. Squall took a step back as Laguna nearly tackled him. "It's already eleven! You're missing the day!" 

"I had things to do." he mumbled quietly. 

"Did you have a good night?" Laguna asked warmly. 

"Uh-" 

"Why don't you join me for lunch?" Laguna cut him off. "On me!" 

"What...what about Sis or Kiros...or Ward?" Squall stammered as he tried to pull himself away. 

"Ellone went off with Fujin and Rinoa to the meeting, Ward and Kiros went with them since Raijin can't drive," Laguna said. He beamed a smile. "It's just YOU and ME." 

After Squall nearly had a heart attack, he proclaimed that he had yet to go look around. Laguna offered to take him on a tour. Squall then said he suddenly felt sick. Laguna offered to take him to the medical center. Squall then claimed he didn't want to get someone as important as his father sick and the moment Laguna let go of his arm, Squall was back in the elevator and heading to their room. 

He then decided to just pay via phone. Now, laying on his bed, he looked over at the digital clock. It was just past one. He had ordered dinner and ate it hours ago. While he was in the middle of wondering if he should've ordered something for Rinoa, he head the door close. 

"Hey, Angelo..." a tired voice whispered from the living room. Squall stood up in his dark room and walked to his door. He slowly cracked the door open and peeked outside into the den. Rinoa took off her shoes at the door and then headed towards the couch. 

Tiredly, she walked to the couch and fell back on in, her purse falling at her side. Within a few moments, she was asleep. He heard something whine and looked down to see Angelo trying to push her way into his room. He stepped aside and opened the door. 

"I know..." he told the dog as he walked out into the den. The fire place was on, casting a warm light on Rinoa's tired face. Silently, the young captain put his arms under her body and lifted her up. 

Rinoa seemed lighter than when he last carried her. Of course, he might have also gotten stronger. With ease, he followed Angelo into Rinoa's room and laid the girl out on her bed. He tugged her comforter and blanket out from her under her and pulled them over her body. 

For a few moments, Squall stood over her, watching her sleep under the moonlight. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed. His hand went across her head, pushing back her stray bangs. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. 

"Hmm..." she moaned slightly as she turned her head to the side. "Good night, Squall..." 

He smiled slightly and backed away from her all white and light blue bed. "Good night, my angel." 


	5. ExBoyfriend

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Five: Ex-Boyfriend_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Watch out for the profane words! After I finish my other story, I think I'm going to write an AU fantasy...eh, we'll see... 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

_Dear Squall, _

I had to leave early today, but I'll be back for dinner. Don't forget! You're taking me to a movie. ^_^ I'll see you then. Also, please take Angelo out for a walk. I think she's being cooped in too much. 

Thanks!

Rinoa 

Squall put the note down and scratched the back of his head. It was seven in the morning and he wondered when Rinoa had left. *That means she only had a few hours of sleep...* he frowned disapprovingly as he crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it into the trash can. *I'm going to have to talk to her about that. It's not good for her.* 

Angelo was waiting patiently by her bowl and Squall poured some food into the aging dog's bowl. He gave her some water before taking out some orange juice from the fridge and chugging some down. He paused as he realized he had just drunk from the carton. 

*Uh...what she won't know won't kill her,* he thought to himself as he capped it and put it back. As he rummaged through the contents, the phone rang. *The machine will get it.* 

After four rings, Rinoa's out going message started up. Her mother's song played on the piano was the background music and Squall smirked. He could've predicted that. "You've reached Rinoa and Angelo!" Squall chuckled as he looked down at the dog. "We can't answer the phone so leave a message!" 

*BEEP.* 

"Angel...it's me..." The deep voice immediately caught Squall's attention as he closed the fridge, holding two slices of bread to make toast. He narrowed his eyes. "Listen... I'm in town right now. I heard you just bought the Ice Crystal. Maybe we'll run into each other? I'll see you around." 

The message ended and the blue eyed brunette stood in the kitchen, debating whether or not to delete the message. On one hand, he had no right to. He and Rinoa were no longer a couple, so he shouldn't be jealous. On the other hand...okay, truth be told, he had no real, valid reason to delete it. 

So instead, he ignored and turned on the toaster after popping the pieces of bread in it. As he waited for it to be toasted, he went to the den and began to do some sit ups and a few stretches. The phone rang once more. 

As Squall reached mid sit up, that same voice piped up on her answering machine. "Angel... where the hell are you? You're supposed to be here. Meet me downstairs as soon as you can." 

The brunette froze and frowned as the man hung up abruptly. He head his toast pop up and got up to get it. As he ate in silence, he glared at the phone. That man would call six more times before he left the suite with Angelo. 

He put the leash on her and opened the door just as an angry man's voice shouted from within, recording itself on Rinoa's answering machine. It was then that he decided he would have to ask Seifer. Surely, as Rinoa's manager, he would know something about that man. 

In a few minutes, he and Angelo were on the main floor. Squall put his senses on alert. He was wearing a black ski suit and boots. His blue eyes slowly looked around the area, scanning it for any sign of his father. When he was sure that Laguna was no where in sight, he and Angelo snuck towards the door, through the lobby. 

As they passed one of the restaurants, he noticed Zell and his girlfriend having breakfast while looking at the resort catalogue. Zell saw him and waved. His girlfriend look up and smiled as she waved at him as well. Squall merely nodded his head towards them as he continued out the door. 

As soon as he had left the building and unleashed Angelo to prance around in the snow, all his precious precautions went down the drain. "Squall!!" 

He froze in his spot, his face draining of all color as Laguna ran over to him, waving the ski poles in the air, sending snow all over the place. He took a deep breath. "Good morning...Laguna." 

"Giving Angelo a walk, are you?" Laguna said as he looked over at the dog. Angelo rolled around in the snow before standing back up and shaking it off. "Angelo! Come here, girl! It's grandpa!" 

Squall gave his father a look of confusion as Angelo trotted over and allowed herself to be given a good petting by the President. *Wait...if Rinoa's her 'mommy' and I'm her 'daddy'...damn!* He glared at Laguna. 

"I saw Rinoa this morning," Laguna said, almost normally as he let Angelo frolic some more. "She looks very happy. Usually, she's quite stressed." 

"You looks fine to me." Squall stated simply. 

"She's a good girl, that Rin," Laguna said. "I haven't seen her this happen since... well, since she was with you." 

Squall let out a deep breath and rolled his eyes. He knew where his old man was leading. "Listen, we're just friends now." 

"Right, I know," Laguna said defensively. "I'm just saying...Rin really misses everyone. Ellone once said that Rinoa really encouraged Seifer's relationship with Quistis because it was a connection back to the Garden and all her friends there." 

Squall mulled over his words. He didn't doubt that Rinoa missed them. She had just said it the other day. Before he could reply, a voice cut through his thoughts. "Laguna! There you are! Selphie sent us to look for you. Oh, Squall, good morning!" Kiros said. "Ward says good morning, too." 

"Good morning, Kiros, Ward." Squall said, giving them a nod of his head. 

"Laguna, why did you run off?" Kiros sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "It was your idea to throw Rinoa a surprise birthday party this Friday and you're not even helping to plan it." 

Laguna looked like a scolded child as he looked at the two other men. "But I thought Selphie was handling it." 

"Selphie is on vacation, too," Kiros told him. "Now stop running off." 

"Surprise birthday party?" Squall piped. 

"Don't tell her!" Laguna pleaded, bringing his finger to his lips. "She was stuck in meetings during her birthday and none of us were here, so she couldn't have a proper birthday. So we're planning a party for her." 

Squall nodded. "I won't tell her." 

"Good, good!" Laguna said. He ran after Kiros and Ward as Squall looked back at Angelo. 

The door seemed to have had her fill of playing and walked over to him. Suddenly, she stopped and turned her head to the side. Her mouth curled into a snarl as she growled at someone on the patio of one of the restaurants. 

Squall, curious, walked over to the dog and knelt down in front of her. "Angelo...what's wrong?" he said as he gently petted the dog's head. "What's wrong, girl?" 

"Is that your dog?" a deep, some what familiar voice said. 

Squall paused, his blood turning cold in his veins as he recognized it. A wave of anger washed through him as he slowly turned his head. There was a man sitting at a table, alone. His hair was a deep auburn color and layered around his head. Narrowed brown eyes looked at Squall with contempt. 

"She belongs to a good friend of mine," Squall stated simply. He stood up to be eye level with the man as soon as he put the leash on Angelo's neck. "Come on, Angelo," he said softly as he looked down at the dog. "Follow, DADDY. We'll go get some of your favorite snacks, okay?" 

Angelo turned to Squall and gave a bark before following behind him. He could still sense the man's eyes on his back as he walked into the hotel. He wanted to know who that man was. In order to do so, he needed to find Seifer or Raijin. Perhaps even Quistis. 

He got into the elevator and pressed the button to go to the top floor. Once they were in the room, he went and got the promised treats for Angelo before heading to the phone. He had noticed the phone list by it the other day. It had the number of Seifer's suite and Fujin and Raijin's suite, as well as some emergency numbers. Scribbled at the bottom were Laguna's, Ward and Kiros, Ellone, Selphie and Irvine, and Zell and Library Girl. 

He reached for the phone and noticed that there were now ten messages for her. It was barely past nine in the morning. Regardless, he picked the phone and dialed the extension to Seifer's suite. 

"Mmm..hello?" a tired female voice yawned. 

"Quistis, is Seifer there?" Squall asked. 

"Squall?" Quistis asked, confused. *Well, this is new...* "What's wrong?" 

"Is Seifer there? I need to talk to him." Squall insisted. 

"He can't really talk. He got hit in the head with a hockey puck and -" Squall could hear someone yelling at her on the other side of the phone. "Well, it's the truth, Seifer! Fine, here!" 

There was the sound of shuffling as the phone was handed over to someone else. "What do you want, captain puberty?" a rather irritated Seifer growled. 

"Seifer, do you know a man with dark auburn hair and brown eyes? A pale complexion and knows how Angelo looks like?" Squall asked. 

In their suite, Seifer narrowed his eyes as he sat up painfully in bed. "Why...?" he asked. 

"I was downstairs walking Angelo and she started growling a man. The man seemed to recognize Angelo. And earlier, someone's been leaving messages to Rinoa." 

"Was it a male voice?" 

"I wouldn't be so concerned if it WASN'T," Squall hissed. "Why?" 

"There are very few people who know Rinoa's private number. It's the number for her place in Deling City, but whenever she goes on vacation, she has it forwarded to wherever she is..." Seifer said. "Ah...shit..." 

"What?" Squall and Quistis both asked. 

"Damn..." Seifer hissed. "Quistis! More pain killers!" 

Quistis rolled her eyes and reached over to get him some more pills. Squall mumbled 'whatever'. Seifer's head was throbbing as he handed Quistis the phone and took the pills. He put the glass of water down on the bed stand and took the phone back. 

"He's an ex-boyfriend," Seifer explained. "It's a long story...but delete those messages. If Rinoa hears them, she'll worry." 

"Why?" Squall asked. "What happened between them?" 

"That's private information, captain puberty!" Seifer snapped. "Now just delete them!" Seifer hung up the phone and leaned back against his bed. 

Quistis stared at him. "I thought she put a restraining order on him?" Quistis whispered. Seifer ran his hand down his face. 

"She did..." he whispered. "He appealed...got it shortened to two years. Just because he's famous." 

"You should tell, Rin." Quistis said. 

"No...but dial me Fujin's cell number," Seifer said. "It's best to tell her to keep her head up just incase anything happens." Quistis nodded. 

* * *

Squall looked back at the answering machine and pressed the delete button. He took a deep breath and frowned as one after the other, he deleted messages from Rinoa's ex-boyfriend. In a way it felt good, but in another it bothered him. If Seifer had been so insistent to having them deleted, something must've happened. 

As soon as the last message was deleted, the phone rang again. Squall froze in his spot and stared at the phone. As soon as it rang a third time, his hand flew out and grabbed it. *What am I doing!?* he thought to himself as he lifted the receiver up to his ear. "Hello...?" 

"Squall!" a loud, perky voice shouted in his ear. 

He let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, Selphie...?" he said tiredly. 

"Hey, come down and join us for lunch later," she said. "We're going to plan Rin's birthday party. Can you make it?" 

"Sure," Squall said. Selphie told someone behind her and Squall was positive he heard his father yell in joy. "Where will you guys be?" 

"We'll be in the North Crystal Restaurant," Selphie said. "We'll see you at twelve!" 

She hung up and Squall shook his head. As soon as he hung up the phone, it rang again. *I have a feeling that might be Laguna...so I'll just let the machine get it...* 

He slowly backed away from the phone just as the answering machine went off. "Where the fuck are you, bitch!? Why aren't you answering my phone calls!? And WHO is that guy that was walking your dog? Let me guess, is he 'just a friend'? Face the music, baby, you belong to ME!" 

Squall ran to get the phone in order to yell at whoever was leaving those horrendous messages for Rinoa, when the person hung up. Squall glared at the phone, as if had betrayed him. He lifted up his finger and deleted the message. 

* * *

*Kill me...* Squall thought to himself as Laguna pushed the ice cream shaped into a panda towards him. *Kill me now.* 

"It's so cool," Laguna said. Somehow, the words 'cool' coming from a fifty year old's mouth was more disturbing than anything else. "See, it's made of vanilla and chocolate." 

"If you like it so much, why are you giving it to me?" Squall grumbled. 

"I'm lactose intolerant." 

Squall narrowed his eyes. *More than I needed to know...* 

"Just eat it," Kiros said. "Or he'll pout." Squall grumbled as he lifted up a spoon and brought it to his mouth. 

"Okay," Ellone said. "So we're going to have a little dinner and then go dancing in the club. It's not much, but at least she'll be surrounded by friends." 

"I've already made the reservations," Selphie said proudly. "We'll be at the Blue Crystal. I reserved a private room." 

"Excellent," Ellone said. "What do you think Squall?" 

"I'm sure she'll love it." he responded humbly as he ate half of the bear's head. 

"Now...just so our presents don't overlap," Selphie said. "I have already bought Rinoa's present. It's a stuffed animal." 

"But I got her one of those already," Ellone said. "What did you get her?" 

Selphie giggled and shook her head. "Can't say...what did YOU get her?" 

Ellone looked at her, slightly suspicious. "I can't say either..." 

"I got her a puppy!" Laguna announced. "The exact breed as Angelo! It'll be delivered the day before." 

"WE got her the puppy," Kiros corrected. "It was Ward's idea and I ordered it. You paid for it." 

Ward nodded in his seat. "So what are you getting her Squall?" Ellone asked. 

"Me?" he piped. He never even thought about it. 

"Aww...that's so cute!" Selphie said. "You're giving her YOU for her birthday!" 

"That's not what I meant-" 

"That's my boy...ever the romantic!" Laguna said, slapping Squall in the back proudly. "Just like his old man." 

Kiros rolled his eyes. "Ward says 'RIGHT'." 

"Having lunch?" a voice said behind them. 

"Ah, Fujin! Just the person we wanted to see!" Laguna said. "We need to know what Rinoa's doing next weekend." 

"Party planning?" Fujin asked as she cocked her head to the side. Laguna and Selphie nodded. "Hmmm..." 

She looked over at Raijin, who was standing behind her. "I think she's free, ya know..." Raijin said. Fujin nodded in agreement. 

"Surprise party?" Fujin asked. 

"Yeah, so we'll need someone to keep her distracted..." Ellone said. 

"Oh, Squall can do it, right Squall?" Selphie said energetically as she looked across the table as the blue eyed brunette. Squall nodded and then stopped. 

"Fujin...if you're back...where's Rinoa?" he asked. 

"Room." Fujin replied. 

Squall narrowed his eyes slightly and put the spoon on the now empty plate. "I have to go." 

"Huh? Oh...I get it..." Selphie smirked deviously as Squall stood up and got out of his chair. "Can't wait to see her, huh?" 

"No, it's something else!" he said. He quickly sped out of the restaurant. *What if he called while I was eating lunch? What if Rinoa hears the messages? Shit!* 

He ran to the elevators, nearly knocking down several people on his way up. It seemed like centuries passed before the elevator finally opened. Squall ran in and quickly pushed the button to the top floor. He was lucky - no one had caught the elevator in time. That and he pressed the Door Close button before anyone could reach him. 

When the doors re-opened, he rushed out and headed down the posh hall to their room. As he ran, he dug into his pocket and removed they key. He fumbled with it as he tried to unlock the door. Eventually he swung it open. 

"I told you before that you're MINE!" a voice shouted from inside. "You better watch your little pretty boy because something might just happen to him!" 

*BEEP.* 

Squall rushed in and stopped as soon as he entered the den. Rinoa was standing with her back to him. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater. Her thick jacket had been thrown over the couch as her keys and purse were on the counter. 

"Rinoa...?" Squall whispered quietly. 

Her head slowly lifted up. She turned around slowly, her eyes rimmed with tears as her bottom lip trembled. Her intake of breath was shallow and uneven. Her face was paler than usual. 

"Squall..." she whimpered quietly. She took one shaking step towards him as he ran forward. His arms went around her body as he pulled her against him and closed his eyes. 

"Are you all right?" he whispered. 

Rinoa shook her head slightly. "I...I don't want to go out today..." she whispered was buried her face in his chest. "Can we stay in here? Please, can we stay here?" 

Squall nodded and gently caressed her head. "Sure...sure..." he said. "It's all right...we'll order in some food," he whispered softly. "We'll order some movies and we'll watch them here." 

"I'm sorry..." she stammered. "I...I can't...what if he's really here?" 

Squall closed his eyes. "He is here..." he told her reluctantly. He couldn't lie to her. "He saw me with Angelo earlier..." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Rinoa mumbled. "I'm sorry..." 

"Seifer said he's your ex-boyfriend," Squall said, gently caressing her face to try to calm her down. Rinoa nodded her head shamefully. "Rin...what happened?" 

* * *

"Stalker?" Zell asked. "He actually STALKED Rinoa?" 

Fujin and Raijin nodded. They sat around one of the lounge, talking quietly amongst themselves. Seifer told Fujin to tell the others just incase they were approached by him. 

"He's a race car driver, ya know," Raijin added. His crutches were next to him as he sat next to Fujin with his arm draped over her shoulder. "They got together before we were hired, ya know." 

"It's my fault," Laguna sniffled as he looked into the fire with sad eyes. "I'm the one who invited Rinoa to Esthar. I'm the one who dragged her to the speed way because I didn't want to go alone." 

"Uncle," Ellone said. "You didn't know when Rinoa met him that it would lead to this." 

"So what exactly happened?" Selphie asked. "I mean...I heard that she dated him, but they broke it off after a few months, right? It didn't get serious...did it?" 

"We don't know how far they got, ya know," Raijin said. "But he was really jealous, ya know." 

"Jealous," Fujin nodded. "Seifer. Raijin. Sir Laguna. Ellone. Me." 

"You know that Uncle loves Rinoa like a daughter," Ellone said. "So whenever she was in Esthar, she stayed with us. He lives in Esthar, too and he'd get angry at her for not staying with him. He'd leave these angry messages at the palace. Sometimes, we'd see his car across the street." 

"Very creepy." Fujin nodded. 

"I think it was about five months after Rinoa and Squall broke up," Ellone mumbled to herself. "She went on a few dates with him and said she didn't really feel that it was going anywhere...but then he won an important race in Esthar and dedicated it to Rinoa. So she decided to give it another chance." 

"I remember that," Zell's girlfriend said. "It was all over the news." 

Ellone nodded. "Well, it was true. They went out for a while and I started sensing some bad things about him. So I spoke to Rinoa and she said that he was really jealous. Not normal jealous, but to the point of getting hurt." 

"Got hired," Fujin said. "Went downhill." 

"Three months into the relationship, she hired us, ya know," Raijin said. "Met up with her and he was with her, ya know. Defied him, ya know." 

"Jerk." Fujin said. 

"The next time she came to Esthar, she stayed with us and brought along these three," Ellone said. "And you know how Seifer is...arrogant, but he notices things. He noticed that Rinoa wasn't her usual self and said that Fujin saw some bruises on her. So we investigated and found out he was hitting her. He obviously didn't like the idea of Seifer being her manager or Fujin and Raijin being her body guards and assistants." 

"I think that's why she hired us, ya know," Raijin said. "She might have wanted help, ya know." 

"Why didn't she come to us?" Irvine said. "We would've helped." 

"Rinoa probably didn't want word of it to reach Squall," Selphie theorized. "You never know what Squall would've done." 

"Restraining order," Fujin said. "Now over." 

"Seifer said that he might be here, ya know," Raijin said. "Squall told him that someone was leaving messages on Rinoa's machine, ya know." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Zell's girlfriend gasped. She covered her mouth. 

"Don't worry," Laguna asserted. "As long as Squall is with her, she'll be fine." 

"Right!" Selphie said. "What better body guard than her knight - the Captain at Balamb Garden!?" 


	6. Stronger Than Expected

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Six: Stronger Than Expected_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: While a stalker is a serious deal, please be warned that this is not an angst filled dramatic story. This means that Rinoa's exboyfriend/stalker won't scare her so much as piss her off. His stalking isn't 'serious'. He's kind of just there annoying her now more than anything else. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

The fire place was to their left as Rinoa curled into a ball against Squall. He lifted his arms and pulled the blanket over her pajama clad body as she turned on the television. He had a pillow on his lap where Rinoa placed her head. She felt his hand on her shoulder, holding her against him as she began to flip through their choices of movies. 

Squall noticed that Angelo laid by the fire place in the most picturesque scene. Rinoa, laying down next to him, made it seem like they never broke up at all. "What about this one?" she asked suddenly. 

Squall looked up and nodded. "Sounds good. Is it showing?" 

"They're always showing," Rinoa said. "Okay...here we go..." she pressed the button and then put the remote down as the movie started. 

Squall looked down at her and smiled softly as she snuggled closer to him. Rinoa relished the feeling of having him close to her once more. She felt his hand slowly caress her head, probably an unconscious motion. 

The phone was unplugged. The only way to reach either one of them now was through one of their cellular phones. Selphie had taken Squall's to prevent him to doing anything work related and Rinoa's was charging and on silent in her bedroom. 

*I wonder if she realizes how much I miss this...* Squall thought to himself as he tried to keep his attention on the movie rather than on the woman on his lap, across the couch. 

"When is the food getting here?" Rinoa whispered. "I had an early lunch." 

"It should be here soon," he assured her. As if on cue, the door bell rang. "That's got to be it." 

Rinoa pushed herself up just enough for Squall to squeeze himself out. The brunette stood up. He gently placed Rinoa's head on the couch before heading towards the door. The door bell rang once more. 

"Just get the tip from my purse!" Rinoa shouted. 

"Don't worry, I got it," Squall said. He reached for his wallet, which had been left on the counter. He took a ten from it's fold and then opened the door. "Thanks." 

The bell boy nodded he pushed the cart of food into the room. Squall wondered if they ever got tired of the blue and white uniforms and theme that went through the resort. He shrugged and paid the young man who was dressed in white with blue accents and a blue cap. 

He said nothing, just nodded his head in thanks and pocketed the ten before heading out the door. Squall locked it behind him and walked back to the cart. He lifted the sliver dome lid of the largest tray and quickly slammed it back down. 

"Can you just hand me a slice of pizza?" Rinoa said casually from where she was sitting. Squall closed his eyes and mentally swore. 

"They gave us the wrong pizza, Rinoa," he said as he headed towards the phone. "I'm going to call the bell boy back and have him return this one." 

"Oh...I'm hungry now," Rinoa said as she sat up. She turned her head slightly and smiled warmly at him. "I don't care about the toppings. So long as it's not mushrooms." 

"Oh, there are mushrooms!" Squall said. He was trying to keep his voice in a calm voice as he dialed the kitchen number. Rinoa let out a grumble and fell back on the couch. 

"Geeze...I'm starving..." she sighed. 

"Just sit tight," Squall told her casually as he let the phone ring on the other end. "Our pizza will come soon - oh...hello? Yes...I have a complaint with my room service..." 

Rinoa sighed and sat up again. She kicked the blanket off and stood up, putting her feet into baby blue slippers. Squall had his back to her as he talked in a low voice. She stretched her arms tiredly as she walked past him and into the kitchen. 

"Might as well snack on something..." she mumbled to herself as she opened a cabinet and dug out a back of chocolate chip cookies. She picked out one and closed the bag before turning around and heading back the den. 

She bit into her cookie and passed the cart. Casually, she put her hand on the lid, just as Squall turned around. "Rinoa, no!" 

It was too late. Rinoa's eyes went wide as she dropped her cookie and the lid. She stood in front of the tray as the lid fell at her feet. Her eyes were pasted on the pizza. It's pepperoni was re-arranged to say 'Angel'. The pizza itself has been completely torn apart. 

"Rinoa..." Squall said. He quickly hung up the phone and was at her side. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she jumped slightly. 

"What the hell is that!?" she gasped. "That bastard!" she shrieked furiously. "Why can't he leave me alone!?" 

Squall swept down and grabbed the lid. He slammed it back on the platter and turned to Rinoa. "Rinoa, are you all right?" 

Rinoa was shaking as her hands balled at her sides. "It's him..." she gasped out. Anger burned in her eyes as the resent rose within her. "Squall, he's back." 

"Rinoa," he said. He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Rinoa, listen to me. Calm down..." He could see the anger flaring behind the chocolate brown orbs. 

"I hate him so much," Rinoa hissed out. "This is too much...Why can't he just leave me alone?" 

"We'll get him," Squall said. "Don't worry...I'll make sure he won't do this again." 

"No," Rinoa said, shaking her head. "I won't live like this forever. I won't let him scare me." 

"Rinoa-" 

"We can report it," Rinoa said as she grabbed the phone. "But I'm not going to let him push me around like this. I'm sick of this!" 

Squall watched her as she dialed the number. *She's matured since we last met. She's more rational...she's not a child any more.* 

"Call Seifer," Rinoa said. "Tell him to get security around the area and post up warnings. I want him found and his ass in jail." 

Squall raised an eyebrow. "You're taking this better than expected." he said as he walked towards his room to get the other phone line. 

"Yeah well," Rinoa said. "Some how it's easier when you're here," Squall paused at the door way to his room and let her words sink in. "Hello? This is Rinoa Caraway from the Ice Crystal. I'd like to report a stalking incident." 

* * *

Laguna wiped the tears in his eyes before they froze his eyelids closed. He sniffled as he watched Rinoa and Selphie play with Angelo in the snow. They were sitting in the out door veranda as one large group eating breakfast. 

"She's such a strong girl," Laguna whimpered. "That's my girl." 

"Laguna, she's not YOUR girl," Kiros sighed. "She's General Caraway's girl." 

"Does her father know about this?" Irvine said as he took a drink of his coffee. "You know...this whole exboyfriend issue?" 

Seifer nodded. "She tried to hide it from him, but he found out," Seifer told them. "He was so furious, he wanted the bastard executed." 

"Are you serious?" Zell said. "Man...I'd hate to mess with that guy." 

"So did they find him?" Quistis asked as she put butter on her toast. 

"No," Seifer replied. "He checked out last night, but he was definitely here. We got Trabia Garden on it." 

"Trabia Garden?" Squall asked. 

Irvine nodded. "When you guys told us last night, Selphie called some friends. They're on it right now." 

Zell let out a long whistle. "I'd hate to be him right now." 

"How about Rinoa?" Quistis said as she looked at the young woman who was throwing snow balls at an energetic Selphie. "She looks good this morning. Not stressed out or anything." 

"After she saw what he did, she got really pissed off," Squall said. "I expected her to be confused or even a little scared, but she looked like she was ready for some serious vengeance." 

"After what he put her through, I wouldn't be surprised." Seifer said. 

"All right, we found some stuff on him," a voice said. They turned and saw Ellone walking back with Raijin and Fujin behind her. They pulled up some chairs and Ellone put a manila folder on the table. "He's been here for two days. He rented a car, which is currently missing. Other than that, he hasn't been sighted." 

"Last night a bell boy was jumped, ya know," Raijin added as he was given a cup of coffee by the waitress. "He was found tied up in the stair well, unconscious and without his clothes, ya know." 

Squall's head perked up. "What?" 

"He said he was in the elevator with someone who looked like the stalker-" 

"Oh, shit..." Squall swore as he ran his hand down his face. 

"What's wrong?" Ellone asked. 

"The bell boy who delivered the food. It was him," Squall said. "I didn't see his face, his head was down the whole time." 

"Meaning he knows where Rinoa's room is..." Quistis whispered. "Should she move?" 

"She already refused," Squall sighed. "You know she's stubborn when it comes to something like this." 

"Just to be safe, we should get some more locks installed in it," Seifer added. "Perhaps some new key device, too." 

"Good idea." Fujin whispered as she stirred her hot chocolate. 

"I can't believe that someone would do that to Rinoa," Zell's girlfriend said as she looked over at Rinoa and Selphie, who were now knee deep in snow balls. They didn't seem like they would stop any time soon. "And especially since this guy is so high profile, too. Wouldn't that jeopardize his career?" 

"Isn't this guy the one who had to stop racing after an accident?" Irvine said. "I read it about in a sporting magazine. He was in an accident and something happened so he couldn't control a car the same way. As a result, he was let go." 

"That happened right after Rinoa broke up with him," Seifer said. "Guess who he blames for it." 

"Are you serious?" Zell said. "But that's totally independent of each other." 

"We know." Fujin agreed. 

"She didn't have any nightmares, did she?" Laguna suddenly asked. Squall looked over at his father, who was sitting across from him, and gave him a questioning look. 

"For a while, Rinoa had nightmares that he would come after her after the first stalking incidents," Ellone explained. "After the restraining order, she found a lot of reassurance and they stopped happening." 

Squall shook his head. "No, she was fine last night," he said. "After we called all of you guys and the police came by, we went straight to sleep." 

Irvine raised an eyebrow. "WE?" 

*Shit,* Squall glared at Irvine. "What? I'm not allowed to sleep?" 

"No..." Irvine said with a knowing smile. "But the way you said it made it seem like you two slept...together." 

Suddenly all eyes were on Squall, as if waiting for the details. "She's not my girlfriend any more." Squall snapped. 

Zell sighed. "Go figure..." Everyone eased back down and Squall turned his attention back to Rinoa. 

The night before, he had gone to bed and shortly after there was a knock on his door. He said it was open and Rinoa was there, a blanket wrapped around shoulders and Angelo at her heels. 

_ "Squall..." she said in a quiet voice. "I know that...um..." She looked down, avoiding eye contact as she blushed. "Can I...?" _

He put his hands on her shoulders and made her look up at him. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. 

"I'm sorry," Rinoa said as she shook her head. Squall's arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I just...I just need to be with someone..." 

"You can cry, you know." Squall said softly as he caressed her hair. 

"He's not worth crying over," she asserted as she closed her eyes tightly. "I won't let him do this to me. I'm better than he is." 

They spent two hours laying in his bed, talking about what had happened. She told him how they met and how she felt. She informed him on why she even gave him a chance and how and when he started hitting her. She tried to explain why she stayed with him. Then she told him how she eventually broke up with him and the parts that his father, sister, Kiros, Ward, Seifer and his posse played in helping her. That was the reason she was so close to them. 

There was one question that kept nagging at him. Why hadn't she come to him for help? Why Seifer? Why his father? Why not him? By the time Rinoa fell asleep, Angelo was sleeping on the foot of the bed. And Squall...he wanted to go on a personal man hunt. 

*How dare he...?* Squall's mind bitterly asked as he held Rinoa in his arms. *How dare he do that to her? To do those things? Say those words? No one has a right to do that!* 

"Squall!" 

"What?" The captain turned around and saw everyone staring at him. He narrowed his eyes and gave them all a cold look. "Well?" 

Quistis lifted up a piece of a paper. "You owe $14 for your part of the bill." 

"Oh." 

* * *

The lake was frozen over and Rinoa took a deep breath. "Breath that in!" she said as Squall stood behind her, holding both pairs of ice skates. "That fresh, crisp-" 

"Cold air." 

"Right!" Rinoa said cheerfully. She turned to him and too his hands. "Come on!" 

"Why couldn't we go ice skating that the resort rink?" he asked as he looked around the area wearily. "Is this ice even thick enough to skate on?" 

"Yes," Rinoa sighed. "Fujin, Raijin, and I went ice skating here a few days ago...uh...be careful, though, because this is where Raijin sprained his ankle." 

Squall rolled his eyes. "I still don't see what was wrong with the rink." 

"Because they're in the middle of having skating lessons and I want an area for myself!" she replied. Angelo was jumping up and down over a fallen log and Rinoa was heading towards it. Squall merely sighed and followed her. He didn't know what exactly drove him to come with her. Sure, it was sunny outside, but he didn't feel like ice skating. 

They had gone ice skating once while dating and it hadn't turned out well. Rinoa had been quite good while he had knocked over several people, including some children, in a chain reaction, getting them banned from the ice skating rink for several months there after. 

Rinoa sat down on the fallen log after she brushed off some snow and began to change from her snow boots to her ice skates. Squall joined her and was still putting on his skates when Rinoa headed out for the lake. 

It was a fairly decent size and relatively smooth. Rinoa was having no problem skating around with Angelo whimpering as she tried to keep steady on the ice. Instead, the dog would fall and skid a few inches before scrambling to get back up. 

Squall swore as he struggled to get to the ice. When he finally reached it, he put his left foot on the ice first and then..."AH!!!" 

"Squall!" Rinoa gasped. She laughed and skated over as he laid on his back. "Squall, don't tell me that after all this time, you still haven't learned." 

"I already told you," he said as he struggled to get back up. "I refuse to return to that rink." 

He let out another swear as he fell once more. He was able to get on his hands and knees before falling once more. "Here, give me your hand," she sighed. Squall looked at her, unsure if he should since he might bring her down with him. "Don't worry! I've been doing this since I was a kid!" 

Squall let out a sigh and took Rinoa's hand. Before she had a chance to steady herself, Squall tried to pull himself up, resulting in Rinoa falling right over him. She let out a squeal as she fell over his lap. Squall gave her a look of being unimpressed. "Since you were a kid, huh?" 

"I wasn't ready," she told him casually. He merely raised an eyebrow. "Really!" 

He just continued to look at her until she let out a frustrated grumble and attempted to stand back up. "Where are you going?" he said as he grabbed her hand. "I didn't say you could get up." 

"Huh? Hey!" He pulled her back down and she fell back on him, now sitting on his lap. His knees were raised and one arm was holding up him as he used his other arm to hold her down. "Squall!" 

"Hey, I'm just cold," he told her casually. "If we had stayed by the rink, I could've easily left for the heat lamps...but since we're here in the middle of now where..." 

"So I'm on your lap to keep you warm?" she asked. 

"Yes." 

"Are you flirting with me?" she asked, slightly confused, yet at the same time slightly happy for his change in demeanor. 

"No, I really am cold," he told her truthfully. "I should've brought a scarf or something...the wind's getting through the jacket." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Rinoa sighed and stood back up. She grabbed his arm and helped him get back up. "Can you stand?" 

"Yes..." he sighed. "The first step was a fluke." 

"Sure..." 

"Fine, believe me or not, but it was fluke," Squall said. Rinoa hesitantly let go of his hand as he pulled away from her. He easily glided down the ice. "See? I'm fine!" He turned his head and raised his hand to show he was capable. 

Rinoa's eyes went wide. "Squall! What where you're skating!" 

"I am-SHIT!" 

Rinoa ran her gloved hand down her face and struggled to suppress her highly amused smile as Squall tripped over a tree root and flew into the snow back near the edge of the lake. Even Angelo, who was having a hard time getting her paws to keep their friction on the ice, lifted up her paw and covered her eyes in shame. 

"I know, Angelo..." Rinoa sighed. She casually skated over. "At least you didn't run into people this time." 

Squall turned his head from where it had hit the snow and frowned and gave her a glare. She merely laughed and took his hand. She tugged him back up and then helped him brush off some snow. "I think some snow got into my shirt..." he said. "Can we go back now?" 

"Aww...but we just got here!" Rinoa whined. "It's just a little snow!" 

"Snow that is melting as we speak," Squall said calmly. *Damn, that's cold! Hyne, I need to change my clothes!* 

Rinoa sighed heavily. "I guess we should get back before your sweater is soaked," she admitted. "You could get sick." 

Squall nodded and turned his head as Rinoa took his hand and lead him back to the side of the lake were their boots were. "Angelo!" Squall shouted. "C'mon, girl! Let's go!" 

"C'mon, Angelo!" Rinoa added. "Listen to daddy!" She stepped on the edge and helped Squall steady himself as they got back on land. "Can you stand?" 

"I'm not a baby." 

"I'm sorry, you had me confused when you were on your hands and knees on the ice." 

"Funny." 

"I know," Rinoa sat down and Squall sat down next to her. She handed him his boots and began to undo her skate laces. As Rinoa tightened her snow boots, she called for Angelo once more. "Angelo! Come on! We're going!" 

They heard her barking and Rinoa looked up. Her body froze and her eyes narrowed. Squall looked up and also narrowed his eyes. Angelo was standing a few feet from them, barking at a long figure standing further away. 

Squall stood up in front of Rinoa. The lone figure took a step forward. "Angel!" he called out to Rinoa. "I still love you!" 

Squall took a step forward and Rinoa held him back. She stepped in front of Squall. "Leave me alone," she hissed angrily. "I told you, I don't want to have anything to do with you any more!" 

"That's not true!" he said pitifully as he walked closer. Angelo began to growl and snarl at the figure. He paused in his step. "Stop pretending, Angel and come back to me!" 

"Don't call me that!" Rinoa yelled. "That's NOT my name! I don't love you, leave me alone!" 

He shook his head, his auburn hair swishing around his face. "I'll stop! I won't hit you any more! I promise!" 

"You said that so many times," Rinoa said. "After you'd hit me, you'd promise not to do it again, but the next day you'd do it!" 

Her hands were behind her and Squall saw that she was dialing a number on her cell phone. Squall took it from her hands and quickly finished dialing it for her, not taking his eyes off of the exboyfriend. 

"I mean it this time!" he said. "I'm sorry! I really am! I'll be a good boyfriend! I promise!" 

"I've only had ONE good boyfriend in my entire life!" Rinoa said as she glared at him. "And you're not him." 

"If he was so perfect, why did you break up with him!?" he snapped. Before Rinoa could answer, Squall did. 

"She didn't break up with him," Squall stated behind Rinoa. "I let her go," He slipped the phone back into Rinoa's pocket and put his arms around her waist possessively. "It was the biggest mistake of my life." 

* * *

Next Time:

Rinoa's exboyfriend gets what's coming to him and Rinoa finally declares that she is now free of him completely. Meanwhile, Squall wonders why exactly he broke up with Rinoa in the first place. More Seiftis, Selvine, and Zell & Library Girl! What's her name, anyway? Does anyone know?...I thought I had a plot for this earlier, but I really don't. -_-;; 


	7. Unspoken Words

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Seven: Unspoken Words _  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: I lied - no Seiftis/Selvine/ZellxLB here. That'll have to wait as this is a Squinoa centric chapter. OOC Rinoa! Listen to the English language version of "1000 Words" sung by Jade from Sweetbox. Or the Nihongo version. Either one. ^_^ Sorry this took longer than usual to get up, I've been having a rough week. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

"Squall..." Rinoa whispered quietly. She turned her head to look up at him as he brought his head close to hers. She blushed furiously as she turned her head back to her exboyfriend and nodded. 

He looked furious as he stood there glaring at the both of them. "Do you think you can just dump me and go crawling off to your exboyfriend!?" 

"No one was crawling back to anyone," Squall told him sternly. "The fact of the matter is that I still love Rinoa. We've been through more things that you could ever imagine and I won't make the mistake of letting her go again." 

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" he shouted. "You can't just take her back after you abandoned her-" 

"He didn't abandon me!" Rinoa snapped. "We were going in separate directions and I agreed with him when he suggested breaking up! We stayed friends and you know what? You never ONCE lived up to him!" 

Inside, Squall felt like blushing. He felt that he was receiving such high praise all of a sudden. Part of him couldn't help but wonder...*Lived up to me...in WHAT way...?* He shook himself out of his thoughts and send a cold, dangerous look to the man across from them. "If you come near Rinoa again, you'll regret it." 

"Don't threaten me, pretty boy!" he yelled. "You don't know what I'm capable of!" 

"Trust me, I'm more than capable of fending for myself." Squall grumbled. 

Rinoa gently pulled herself away from Squall. "I'm going to tell you this right now, it's OVER. Deal with it! I don't love you! I don't think I ever loved you and I KNOW I never will!" 

His face contorted in rage as he let out a yell and ran forward. Squall took a step forward, but Rinoa ran up ahead of him. "BITCH!!" 

"Rinoa!" Squall shouted. 

In her mind, all the memories flashed. She met him. She gave him a chance. She mentioned Squall and was slapped. That was the first time he hit her during one of their frequent arguments. 

_ "All you ever talk about is him!" he shouted angrily as he stood across his living room from Rinoa. "He dumped you! Get over it!" _

"He didn't 'dump' me," Rinoa stated as calmly as she could, although she was seething. "We had a mutual break up." 

"Well, he's not your boyfriend any more so stop talking about him." 

She jerked her head back and frowned. "He's still my friend. You have to accept that." 

"Women don't have male 'friends', Rinoa," he stated simply. "He can't just be your 'friend'." 

Rinoa stood up and glared at him. "Listen, you may not like it, but I still love him-" 

"Love him!?" he scoffed out. "So you LOVE him now!?" 

"I never stopped loving him!" Rinoa retorted proudly. 

*SLAP* 

Anger flooded her veins as she lifted her first. "You will NEVER hit me again!" Rinoa screamed as her arm flew out. 

Squall watched as the exboyfriend was thrown backwards. Rinoa's gloved fist slammed directly on his face with such force he didn't know she had. She ducked just fast enough for his fist to go over her head before he tumbled to the ground. Rinoa slammed her foot on his chest as a snarling Angelo stood by her side. 

He was breathing heavily as he looked back at her with a bleeding nose. "You stupid bitch..." he hissed as he glared at her. "I can't believe I ever liked you." 

"Same to you." Rinoa said. 

"Hey!" a voice shouted behind them. Rinoa didn't look back. She could hear Seifer and Selphie's voices shouting as Trabia Garden SeeDs followed behind them with the others. 

They were running up the hill to get to the frozen lake when Rinoa finally stepped back. "I never want to see you again." she told him coldly before she turned around and dramatically headed back to Squall. 

He was walking towards her, still looking concerned. The exboyfriend crawled up tiredly. He stood up and glared at Rinoa. "This isn't over!" he said. He reached out to grab her shoulder. 

Squall grabbed Rinoa first and pulled her towards him. He extended his own fist and slammed it into the exboyfriend's face. He let out a groan as he fell back into the snow and knocked out. "I believe it is," Squall said casually. He turned back to Rinoa and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you all right?" 

"I feel empowered," she said with a tired smile. "But I also feel that I need ice for my hand." 

He gave an amused smile and lowered his head slowly. Rinoa felt her face heating up as she tilted her head up. "Are you guys all right!?" 

Selphie's voice cut through their senses and they jumped apart just as the messenger in her neon yellow snow suit tumbled down the snow bank. "Are the SeeDs with you?" Squall asked casually, as if he weren't just interrupted in an intimate moment. 

"Yeah!" Selphie said. She looked past them at the unconscious man on the snow. "Whoa! Squall, you really got him!" 

Squall opened his mouth to correct her and tell her that Rinoa had gotten the first hit in, when Rinoa grabbed Squall's arm tightly and smiled. "Well, what better body guard than a SeeD Captain, right?" 

* * *

"Zell?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded as she sat on their couch in front of the fire place. Her hand had an ice pack on it as it rested on a pillow on her lap. 

"Remember when I made him give volunteer self defense classes?" Rinoa said. "You know, is was after that time he ran into Cid riding that toy of his and got slapped with a community service punishment?" 

"Yeah, he had to volunteer a hundred hours." Squall said. 

"It was fifty!" Zell shouted over his shoulder as he sat with Selphie, his girlfriend, and Laguna in front of the big screen television playing a video game. 

Squall rolled his eyes. "Whatever." 

"Well, I kept practicing those punches he taught us," Rinoa said proudly. "It works out my arms." 

"You should keep working them, they're still flabby." Seifer said from where he laid on the couch across from them with Quistis. 

"Shut up! They're not flabby!" Rinoa snapped. She unconsciously lifted her good hand to the bottom of her other arm and frowned. *Dammit, he's right...* 

"Laguna," Irvine said from where he was sitting on the couch behind Selphie. Laguna, Zell, and Zell's girlfriend all sat in front of him playing video games. "Can I please play now?" 

"No!" the President said as he energetically moved the controller all over the air. "Ask Selphie." 

Squall glared at his father and shook his head. *No, it's a lie. I don't care what Sis says, he cannot possibly be MY father. It must me some sort of cosmic joke.* 

"Thanks for coming guys," Rinoa said as she looked around. Kiros and Ward were playing poker with Fujin and Raijin at the table and Ellone was watching the others play the video game. She was currently trying to talk her uncle into giving Irvine a chance to play. "I know how busy you guys are." 

"Busy?" Quistis said. "Rinoa, we're on vacation. And we're not going to leave you here hanging after your stalker exboyfriend showed his face!" 

"I wanted to, but she wouldn't let me." Seifer assured Rinoa. Quistis slapped his arm and glared at him. 

"No, he wanted to come and make sure you were okay, too." Quistis reasserted. Seifer shook his head behind her. 

Rinoa merely giggled and leaned her shoulder against Squall, who jumped slightly. He suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was one thing when she cuddled up against him when they were alone, but now EVERYONE was in the room with them. Irvine was giving him a knowing look and even Ellone was smiling slightly. 

"Does anyone want something to eat!?" he suddenly shouted loudly as he shot out of his seat. Rinoa nearly fell over but quickly stabilized herself. "I'm going to order food!" 

"No, don't," Ellone said. "We're going to eat dinner in an hour anyway." 

"Oh..." Squall said nervously. He looked back at Rinoa who was scratching Angelo behind the ear with her good hand. 

Irvine tugged on Selphie's jacket collar and whispered something in her ear. Her green eyes went even larger and she whispered to Zell's girlfriend. Then Library Girl whispered something to Zell. Zell looked confused. She rolled her eyes and elaborated and then he finally nodded eagerly. 

"Well, we're going to get ready for dinner," Selphie said as she quit the game, much to Laguna's surprise. "So in an hour?" 

"Yeah," Zell's girlfriend agreed as stood up. "Quistis, are you and the others going to meet us there?" 

Quistis looked over at them and then back at Rinoa and Squall. Her blue eyes went wide. "Oh YEAH..." she stated as she put her feet on the floor and stood up. "Actually, Seifer and I have something planned tonight, too." 

"We do?" he asked, confused. 

She shot him a glare and slapped his leg. "YES," she insisted. "We DO." 

He tilted his head to the side and then nodded. "Yeah! Yeah, you're right, we do!" 

"Uncle, Kiros, Ward," Ellone said, getting the idea quickly. "We should be heading out now. I'm sure Rinoa wants to rest a bit before dinner." 

"But the game..." Laguna said as he pointed to the television like a child. 

"You can play it later." Kiros sighed as everyone began to leave the large suite. Before long, it was empty and the door closed and locked behind everyone. It left Squall standing there while Rinoa sat in front of him. 

"Did I make you that uncomfortable?" she asked with a heavy sigh as she leaned back on the soft cushions of the couch. 

"Why would I be uncomfortable?" Squall asked as casually as he could. 

"Because I put my head on your shoulder and then you freaked out and jumped up," Rinoa sighed. She looked at him directly. "Squall, can I ask you something?" 

"No." 

"Too bad," she said. Squall stood in front of her, slightly nervous. "Did you mean what you said back there?" 

*I knew she was going to ask that...* Squall thought to himself. He turned his head to the side and took a deep breath as he ran his hand through her hair. "I said what I thought needed to be heard at the time." 

She narrowed her eyes. "You're being vague," she stated blandly. "I asked a serious question and I want to a serious answer, Squall. Do you still love me?" 

"Yes," Squall said, immediately answering the question. "You know I still care about you, Rinoa." 

"And I still care about you. I still think of you as my hero..." 

"Then why didn't you come to me when he started hitting you?" Squall asked. "Why did you go to Seifer and the others? Why did my father know, but I didn't?" 

Rinoa took a deep breath and covered her face with her hands. "I couldn't tell you..." she sighed. "I couldn't keep coming to you for help, Squall." 

"Rinoa, why were you so stubborn?" Squall asked. "Did you think I'd turn you away?" 

"I can't keep relying on you," Rinoa said. She turned to look at him. "I owe you so much already, Squall, you have no idea. But I needed to stand on my own two feet. We just broke up a few months before, I couldn't come crawling to you for help! Your world doesn't revolve around me, no matter how much I want it to-" 

"And how do you know that!?" Squall nearly shouted back. "How do you know that my world doesn't revolve around you!?" 

Rinoa stared up at him, unsure of what to say. "I don't understand...you broke up with me." 

"You didn't put a fight..." Squall trailed off. "I thought you would, but you just agreed." 

"Then why did you suggest breaking up in the first place?" Rinoa gasped. 

"Because I felt that you needed time to work on your career and not be tied down to me," Squall said. "Do you remember how you used to always be pulled away? We'd be having dinner and all of a sudden, you'd get a call and we'd have to leave early so you could pack and leave." 

"Did you think you were in my way?" Rinoa gasped out, shocked. Squall looked away, but it was apparent that he did. "Squall, you could never be in my way." 

"And I never wanted to be 'just friends'," Squall turned to her. "If you felt that way, too, why didn't you say anything? 

"I did!" Rinoa gasped, her eyes giving him a pleading look, begging him to understand. "But...Everything was so surreal, I didn't even know what was going on." 

His blue eyes looked deep into hers. "You just left..." he said. "You weren't even in our room when I got back that day. Your clothes...your things...they were all gone." 

"I couldn't stay," Rinoa told him softly. "I couldn't stay with you after that... everywhere I looked, I saw something of yours. I needed to get away or..." She took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. 

Squall studied her intently. "Or what?" 

"Or I would've never left..." she whispered as she closed her eyes. "I would've just stayed there and tried to work it out...I SHOULD'VE stayed there and tried to work it out!" 

Silently, Squall wrapped his arms around her. Her shaking arms went around his body and hold on to him tightly as she buried her face against his shoulder. It was a familiar feeling she had missed. "Hyne, Rinoa, I missed you." he told her quietly. 

Her brown eyes were shimmering with tears as she looked up at him. "I missed you, too..." 

"Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life," Squall told her as he held her in his arms. "I thought I was doing you favor." 

"I thought I was doing YOU a favor," she admitted. "I was so absorbed in self sacrificing my feelings for you...I should've said something. I just...I just thought that you really wanted it. Hyne, I wish I had said what was in my heart." 

"What did you want to say?" he asked her softly. 

She looked into his deep blue eyes. "So many things," she whispered. "A thousand words couldn't express it." 

Squall reached to cup her face in his hands. He wiped the corners of her eyes with his thumbs. He tilted his head upwards and kissed her eye lids softly. Her lips trembled as she threw her arms around him and began to cry. His arms went around her body and he pressed his head against hers. 

"Rinoa..." 

"Squall," she whimpered quietly. "Can we start all over?" 

Squall felt relief washing all over him as he nodded his head against hers. "Yes," he said softly as he caressed her hair. "Yes, a thousand times." 

* * *

"They're late!" Laguna exclaimed as he looked at his watch and frowned. "Aren't they supposed to meet us here for dinner? We told them an hour ago!" 

Everyone in the group, except for Quistis and Seifer who were not joining them, exchanged looks with each other. Ellone decided to be the one to break the news to him. "Uncle...they're not coming." 

"Why not?" Laguna asked, concerned. 

*Why does he make this so hard for everyone...?* Ellone asked herself. She took a deep breath. "He's spending time with Rinoa." 

"He can spend time with her here with us," Laguna stated. "What can he do with her that he can't do here with us?" 

At that, Irvine let out a snort and began to laugh as Zell snickered. Both were elbowed into silence by their girlfriends. Laguna looked at them, confused as to why they had laughed. 

Kiros finally shook his head. "Laguna, just let them be." 

"But dinner-" 

"Oh, I think they're skipping dinner all together," Irvine said with a smirk. "I think they dived straight into desert." He snickered some more and Ellone shook her head. 

"It's been a rough day for them," Ellone told her Uncle once more. "Just let them rest. They can eat when they feel like it." 

Everyone silently prayed that Laguna would just drop the subject. Before he could say another word, he laid eyes on the lobster tank and the subject was dropped. Then they had to deal with the fifty year old man tapping on the glass with three kids. 

Irvine just stared at him. "Guys...we have to stop eating with him." 

* * *

"Squall...Did I hurt you?" 

"No...I'm just...rusty." 

"Maybe we shouldn't have done it so fast." 

"We had to do it sometime." 

"You make it sound like a chore, Squall. I thought you would've enjoyed this sort of manual labor." 

"WHY? I get wet and slippery. It's hard to maneuver in here. And any position we get into, we'll miss a spot." 

"That's why we use the shower head," Rinoa replied casually. "It's to reach those hard to reach places." 

"Just hand me the dog shampoo - Angelo!" Squall snapped as the dog tired to scramble out of the large bath tub that all three of them were in. "Stay still or this will take longer!" 

"Make sure to wash her belly," Rinoa said. She was wearing an old T-shirt that was actually once Squall's, and denim cut offs. Squall was wearing swim trunks and shampoo lather. Angelo stood between them and Rinoa stood over them with the shower head spray in her hand, ready to rinse off Angelo when she was clean. A stack of towels awaited the dog once her bath was over. "And her paws." 

"I remember," Squall said. *How did I get into this? We were just hugging a second ago...how the hell did I get roped into washing her dog?* 

After thirty minutes of intense washing and drying, Angelo was lying by the fireplace once more, partially dry and on a towel. Rinoa walked out of the now clean bathtub after a hot shower just as Squall walked out of his room in civilian clothing. "Did you order dinner?" 

"I thought you didn't want to have dinner." he stated. 

"Never mind, I'll do it," Rinoa said. "You brush Angelo." 

"But her fur is still wet." Squall said as he sat on the couch. 

"Yeah, that way it won't dry all tangled and frizzy," she insisted. She tossed him a brush. "What do you want for dinner?" 

"You." 

Rinoa blinked as she held the phone. "What? For a second I thought, you said..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Never mind." 

Squall began to brush Angelo's fur, although she whined the whole time. Rinoa called the kitchen and ordered some simple noodles before turning back to the den and falling back on the couch. Squall put the brush down and leaned over Rinoa, kissing her on the lips as she laid opposite of him. 

His hand gently cupped her face and traced her features with his fingers. "I missed you, Rinoa..." he whispered as he traced kisses all over her face. 

"You didn't shave this morning, did you?" Squall nearly fell over as Rinoa asked that out loud. He looked over at her with a confused look. "Did you?" 

He rolled his eyes. "No." 

She giggled as she traced his jaw line with her finger, feeling the stubble at her tips. Her hands wrapped around his head and pulled him down so she could kiss him. "Squall..." 

"Yes?" 

"I'll fight next time," she told him quietly. "I won't let you go without a fight." 

Squall shook his head. "No," Squall told her. "There won't BE a next time. You won't have to say your thousand words. You won't even have to say one. I won't make the same mistake again." 

Her lower lip trembled and she tired to keep steady as a wave of emotion flooded her senses, making her want to cry. She felt Squall's arms go under her body and lift her up. Her arms went around his neck and she gave him a questioning look. "What-?" 

"Shh..." he said as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Not a single word..." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, unsure of what to say. There came a knock on the door, but Squall continued to his room. 

* * *

Next Time: Okay, I KNOW I was supposed to have some Seiftis and etc. action here, but Squinoa first! Now they're officially hooked up, we can move on to Irvine and Selphie. ^_^ 


	8. The Missing Hat

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Eight: The Missing Hat_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: All right...now that Squall and Rinoa have hooked up, where do I go from here? I still have no plot...just pointless fluff. I feel empty inside... Anyway, do you guys have an idea of where I should go with this? Squall and Rinoa do not make an appearance in this chapter. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Everyone stared at him as he walked through the pool area clad in dark red swim trunks. His hair was tied at his nape and wet from the water as drops of glistening liquid slid down his perfectly defined chest. Perhaps it was the flirtatious smirk on his face or the way he winked to the ladies as he passed. Or perhaps it was the never ending presence of his cowboy hat on his head. 

"Uh...Irvine..." Zell said as he walked along side of his friend, looking up at the tall cowboy with concern. "Why are you wearing your hat to the pool?" 

"Why shouldn't I?" 

"Because it could get wet," Zell stated simply. "And you look weird." 

"Heh..." Irvine smiled. "You say that now, but just wait...after we leave the pool, I'll be easy for the ladies to spot." 

"And what does Selphie have to say about this?" Zell asked. They were heading across the pool area to where the girl's changing room was to wait for their respective others. 

"Selphie doesn't know and we will keep it at that." Irvine told him. 

"Your funeral..." 

As they arrived close to the changing room, Selphie and Zell's girlfriend walked out. The library working brunette was dressed in a dark blue one piece and Selphie was in a bright yellow and green patterned two piece. 

"Selphie," Library Girl said as she laid eyes on the two men waiting for them. Zell jumped up and waved energetically at them. "Why does Irvine always were his hat?" 

"He thinks that girls will recognize him no matter were he goes because of it," Selphie told her. "But don't tell him I know. He thinks it's his big 'secret'." They snickered and the joined Irvine and Zell. 

"So what do you guys want to do first?" Irvine asked casually. 

"THE SLIDE!" Selphie shouted loudly. She pointed energetically to the massive, winding Goliath to one side of the even bigger indoor pool area. 

"That looks fun! And look, you have to go in couples! Zell, let's go!" Library girl grabbed Zell's hand and they raced to the line that was forming for the ride, despite the whistles and yells they got from the life guards to slow down. 

"C'mon, Irvy, what are you waiting for?" Selphie asked. Irvine swallowed hard as his eyes were pasted on to the giant slide. "Irvy?" 

"Uh...nothing," he threw her a smile and walked up next to her. "Let's go!" *I hope my hat stays on...* 

* * *

"A ballet?" Quistis asked as she looked at Seifer. He was walking out of the shower with a white towel around his waist as he rubbed his hair with another. Quistis was sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Since when did you go see ballet?" 

"A lot of people we deal with go to ballet," Seifer said as he tossed the towel that was drying his short blond hair was tossed on the bed. "Anyway, there's one showing in the theater this evening. Do you want to go?" 

"What's it about?" 

"It's the Deling City Ballet's rendition of Sleeping Beauty," Seifer said. Without a bit of shame, he shed the towel around his waist. Quistis looked up from what she was doing and raised an eyebrow in question as she was confronted with his bareness. He was now in the process of putting on some black boxers. "We get a VIP booth." 

*He has such a nice butt...it's so toned...I wonder if he works out specifically for it. Probably not. Regardless, it's so firm...* Seifer turned around and caught Quistis staring at him. 

Once again, his all familiar smirk graced his face. "Like what you see, Quisty?" 

She smirked back and returned to putting cottage cheese on her bagel. "I've seen better." 

Seifer frowned as she continued to ignore him and bit into the pastry. He walked up to her and took the pastry from her mouth and quickly replaced it with his lips. "Well..." he said as they parted. "Maybe you need to take another look." 

Quistis continued to smile as she stood up and met him face to face. "No, I think I've had enough," she said warmly. "Get the tickets. After all, what's more fun than an evening at the theatre with you?" 

"What do you THINK is more fun!?" the other blond exclaimed as Quistis side stepped him and walked towards the living room. 

"Something you're not going to get tonight! So call the theatre!" 

* * *

"Did you find it yet?" Selphie asked as she sat at the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water. Irvine shook his head as he stood up in the five foot section and looked across the pool. 

"Nothing," he said, sounding confused. "I don't get it...my hat flew off when we were going down the slide. It had to end up some where here." 

"Maybe it got stuck in the ride?" Selphie suggested. 

Irvine paled as he fearfully glanced back up at the twisting vortex of plastic and metal. He had sat in front of Selphie on the two person tube and rode down the slide. As Selphie's overly excited screams reached his ears, he some how lost his hat. He couldn't hold on to it as he was forced to hold on to the sides of the tube. 

Zell and his girlfriend went down after them and said that they didn't see it. After a few minutes, they assumed it had washed out some where in the main pool, but they couldn't find it. 

"Hey!" Zell shouted. "I asked the lost and found and they said that your hat hasn't turned up." 

He and his girlfriend joined the two of them by the edge of the pool. Irvine groaned and placed his head on Selphie's lap. "It's gone, Selphie...I'll never see it again." 

"We can always buy another one," Selphie said as she gently stroked his head. "I bet we can find one at the resort mall." 

"Or you can wait," Zell suggested. "You always bring a spare and you have several back in your room at the Garden." 

"You guys don't understand," Irvine groaned. "That wasn't just ANY hat. That was the hat I wore all through the Ultimecia incident! It's my lucky hat!" 

"Lucky hat?" Zell's girlfriend said. 

"It's your lucky hat!?" Selphie piped. "Then we just can't stand here! Let's go find it!" 

"But what if someone took it?" Irvine said, forlorn. 

"Don't worry," Selphie assured him. "We'll get it back." 

"But where do we start?" Library Girl said. She looked around. "I'll go check the changing room. Maybe someone has it." 

"I'll walk around the area. Someone might have it with them." Zell agreed. 

"C'mon, Irvine. Let's go back to the slide and see if someone saw it." Selphie told the tall cowboy. 

"The...the slide...?" Irvine mumbled nervously. He looked back up at the massive structure. *Oh, Hyne...* 

* * *

Seifer was hitting the punching bag with extreme force as Quistis paced the bedroom, going from the closet to the mirror, to find the perfect dress. Their first stop was dinner and then they would go to the theatre. The size of the Ice Crystal never ceased to amaze her. 

It had practically everything. A mall, theatre, movie theatres, bowling alley, indoor pool and golf course, as well as a three gyms, a water park, and several clubs and restaurants. But Quistis didn't have time to contemplate the issue of the size of the resort. 

She stared at two dresses. A long black dress, going down in a mermaid fashion or a long red dress with thin straps. She felt arms go around her waist and she leaned her head back. "Black or red?" 

"How about nothing?" 

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Black or red?" she repeated. 

"Red." 

"Okay then," She pulled away from him and lifted up the red dress and looked it over. "What are you wearing?" 

"Clothes?" Seifer asked as he removed his shirt and tossed it into the hamper. He headed to the bathroom to take a shower. His work out had worked up quite a sweat. 

"I'll lay something out for you," Quistis sighed as he disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she heard the shower go on. She took out a nice suit from him to wear and decided that he would wear the red wine colored shirt. *He should save the white shirt for Rinoa's birthday party tomorrow...* she thought to herself. *I'll wear the black dress then.* 

After she laid out his clothes, she finally removed the robe around her and slipped her dress on. As she looked for her matching shoes, the shower turned off and Seifer walked out, wearing a towel around his waist once more. 

"Oh, Hyne...not the red shirt..." he mumbled with a frown as he saw it. 

"Just wear it," she said as she pulled out a pair of red stilettos. "It won't kill you." 

He grumbled, but obediently took the clothes into the bathroom to change. Quistis put red earrings on and then went on to apply her make up. "Why can't I wear the white shirt?" Seifer called from the bathroom. 

"You'll wear it tomorrow for Rinoa's birthday party," Quistis said as she put on eye liner. "What did you get her for her birthday?" 

"I already gave it to her." Seifer shouted. He was looking at himself in the mirror and put a shiny black tie around his neck. Quistis walked in and grinned as she saw him fumbling with the tie. 

"Here, let me," Quistis said. She walked towards him and reached out. She firmly took the tie in her hands and tied it neatly. She straightened out his clothes. "So what did you get her?" 

"Only the only thing she's wanted," Seifer smirked proudly. "It starts with an 'Squ' and ends with a 'all'." 

Quistis raised an eyebrow and looked at him with surprise. "You got her Squall? Honey, you can't take credit for that." 

"Why not?" Seifer said as he gelled his hair back. "I'm the one who offered to pay three weeks salary for Squall to come here." 

"So YOU were the one who forked up the cash," Quistis said as she put her hands on her waist. Seifer grinned and winked. "I was wondering why Cid let Squall go on a paid vacation. Especially with the budget crunch during the break. Honey, that's so sweet..." 

"Well, it was Fujin's idea," Seifer said as he turned to Quistis and began to move her bangs from her face. "She thought it would be nice to bring everyone up for Rinoa's birthday." 

"So you paid for Irvine and Selphie and Zell and his girlfriend?" Quistis asked, impressed. 

"Actually, I didn't want them to come," Seifer admitted. "One annoying SeeD was enough. But it seemed that Raijin called the President and he paid for them to come up." 

"Do they know?" Quistis said as she put her arms around the taller blonde's neck. 

"I think Selphie does," Seifer said casually as they walked out of the bathroom together. "But the others don't," he kissed her quickly. "Don't tell them." 

"I know," Quistis said. Seifer ran his arms down her bare arms. "So where are we going for dinner?" 

"We have a private room reserved in the south tower's Red Crystal," Seifer said. "I hope you're ready for it!" 

"Isn't that a steak house?" Quistis asked as Seifer put her jacket over her shoulders. 

"Oh yeah," Seifer smirked. "I can't wait to get my teeth into a steak." 

"You are so romantic..." 

* * *

Irvine buried his head in his arms as Selphie tried to console him. "It's all right, Irvy..." she cooed softly. "Once we get a new hat, we can make new memories." 

"It's not the same..." he mumbled for the billionth time. 

"I know, I know..." Selphie sighed. The waitress came by and began to place their food on the table. "Irvine, your steak is here." 

"I don't feel like eating." he pouted as he turned his head away from the juicy slab of meat on the plate in front of him. 

"Irvine," Selphie said sternly. "You have to eat. You can't stop eating because you lost your favorite hat." 

Irvine merely mumbled something in coherent and Selphie sighed. She began to poke at her salad when something caught her eye. Green orbs lit up as she tugged on Irvine's sleeve and began to let out energetic, incoherent blurbs. 

"What...?" Irvine asked, confused. 

"There!" Selphie gasped. She pointed towards the outside of the restaurant where a young woman was walking past with an all too familiar black hat. 

"My hat!" Irvine gasped. Within seconds, he shot from their booth and ran towards the exit. 

"Irvine, wait!" Selphie cried out as she tossed her napkin back into the booth and stood up. 

She was halfway to the door when she was stopped by the manager. "Excuse me, miss...but have you paid?" he asked as pleasantly as he could. 

"I...uh..." Selphie looked around nervously. Irvine was now running down the corridor and she had to catch up. "Well..." Suddenly, her eyes landed on two blondes in formal wearing walking into the restaurant. "They'll cover it!" she shouted. 

She pointed to Quistis and Seifer just. The manager turned around and Selphie dashed past him. "Hey!" he called out. He turned back to the blond couple and slowly approached them. *Oh, crap...that's Mr. Almasy...* 

"Table for two under Almasy." Seifer was telling the woman by the door. 

"Right this way, sir." the woman began. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Almasy," the manager said nervously. Seifer and Quistis turned around and Seifer gave him an annoyed look. "But a young woman ran out of here without paying the bill. She said that you would cover it." 

"What!?" Seifer growled. "Why the hell would I cover-" 

"Wait," Quistis said. She gave the manager a questioning look. "What did she look like?" 

"Short, petite, with upturned brown hair and green-" 

"Eyes...it's Selphie," Quistis sighed tiredly. "All right, we'll cover for them." 

"What!?" Seifer shouted in rage. "No freakin' way-" 

"Seifer..." Quistis said in a low voice. "If she ran out of here without paying, it was probably an emergency. I'm going to call her and see if she's all right." 

"I'm not paying for her meal-" 

"Fine, I'll pay for her meal-" 

"No, you're not paying for it either!" Seifer insisted. 

Quistis shot him an annoyed look as she dug out her cellular phone from her purse. "One of us has to and if you're going to keep complaining, I'm going to pay." 

"Forget it," Seifer said as he gently moved her aside. He grabbed his wallet and pulled out a credit card. "Just put it my card. I'll have them pay me back later." 

Quistis beamed him a smile and took his arm. "See, you're a real sweetheart, honey." 

"Blah." Seifer rolled his eyes and turned his head away, almost disgusted, but also pleased with the praise. He squeezed her hand with his. 

Quistis leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you, too." 

* * *

"Hey!" Irvine shouted as he ran after the girl. "You! You with the hat!" 

The young brunette wearing a black cowboy hat turned around and saw Irvine running up to her. *Hyne, he's hot...* she thought to herself as Irvine caught up with them. "Can...can I help you?" she stammered out while blushing. 

"Yeah, that's my hat you're wearing!" he exclaimed. 

"Your hat?" the brunette asked, confused. She shook her head. "No, you're mistaking. My sister got this hat for me, right, sis?" 

She looked over at the taller brunette next to her, who nodded. "That's right. I bought it from someone at the pool today." 

"See. It's MINE." the brunette said. 

"No, you don't understand," Irvine explained. "I lost my hat at the pool today and-" 

"Listen, buddy, I don't care who you are, but this hat is now my sister's. I suggest you leave us alone before I call security." 

"Security!?" Irvine gasped. "Wait a second, I can prove to you that hat is mine!" 

"How?" the girl said. Irvine grabbed it off her head. "Hey!" 

He turned it upside down and grinned. "There! Here are my initials! I.K." 

The girl looked into the hat where Irvine was pointing at a little tag with the letter's embroidered in crappy lettering. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a suspicious look. "You might have just seen those right now and made up a name." 

"Yeah!" the older sister said. 

"Irvine Kinneas!" a voice shouted behind him. 

"Selphie!" Irvine said with a smile. "Thank, Hyne! She'll vouch for me!" 

"Irvy, we ran out on the check! I don't even known if Seifer and Quisty will pay for us!" Selphie pouted as she reached him. "Oh, did you get your hat?" 

"It's MY hat," the girl said stubbornly. "My sister bought it from one of the stores at the pool today!" 

"Does it have I.K. on the tag?" Selphie said. "I sewed it there myself on all of Irvine's hats just in case." 

The two girls looked at each other reluctantly and nodded. The older sister stepped forward. "But even if it is his, I paid for it-" 

"How much?" Selphie asked. "I'll pay you for it." 

"But-" 

"How much?" Selphie insisted, taking out her wallet. 

The two girls looked at each other and smirked. "100 gil." they said with a smile. 

Selphie nodded and pulled out 100 gil. Irvine's eyes nearly popped out. "Selphie, wait! You don't have to pay-" 

"100 gil," Selphie said. She paid the girls and took the hat. Without another word, she put it on Irvine's head. "Now it's yours." 

"Hey, how much did you pay for the hat, sis?" 

"Twenty." 

"Whoa..." the younger sister mumbled. She looked over at Selphie. "So what's the deal with the hat?" 

"That's the hat he was wearing when we saved the world," Selphie said proudly. "And it might not seem like it, but we got the better end of the deal." 

Irvine looked down at Selphie as he finished adjusting his hat and smiled warmly. The girls merely shrugged and left the couple standing in the corridor to the East Towers. "Selphie, that was mighty generous of you." 

"It was worth every penny." she asserted. 

He put his hands on her tiny shoulders and brought her closer to him. His right hand rose and caressed her cheek softly, making the energetic messenger girl blush. "Thank you, darlin'," he said intently. He lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you." 

Selphie's heart was racing as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you, too, Irvy!!" 

Irvine's arms wrapped around her slim waist and smiled as he felt her heart racing against his. "And I swear, I'll pay you back." 

Selphie merely giggled. "Don't be silly, Irvy," she said with a bright smile. "We both know that I get paid more than you. You don't have to pay me back." 

"Who said anything about paying you back with money?" he asked, giving her a seductive look. Selphie's eyes went large and he winked. Without another word, he swept her up in his arms and headed for the elevators. 

As they stepped into the elevator by themselves, Irvine kissed her once more, stronger than before and Selphie's eyes lit up. Anticipation could be read all over her face as she looked up at him. "Wait...does this mean you're getting me a puppy!?" 

Irvine nearly fell. "Huh?" 

* * *

Next Time:   
Will Irvine get Selphie a puppy!? What about Zell and his girlfriend? WHAT IS HER NAME!? >. 


	9. Surprise Party

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Nine: Surprise Party_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: I think I will keep Shizuka for Library Girl's name since it means quiet and she does work in a library. ^_^ Shout outs to all my reviewers (Sickness in Salvation, Tai, Black & David, Verdanii, Almicene, Commander Squall L., and so many more, you know who you are)!!! Much love!!! 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

The sun peeked through the partially clothes blinds, right into Squall's eyes. He winced as he attempted to open his eyes and was momentarily blinded. He began to shift his weight, when he suddenly remembered that he wasn't the only one on the bed. He looked down and saw Rinoa's sleeping figure curled up next to him. 

Her eyes were still closed as her lips opened a bit to let out warm breaths of air in her sleep. Her head was resting on his bare right, upper arm. Her right arm was draped across his chest, her hand right over his heart. He smiled slightly as he looked down at her. His free hand rose and gently moved her bangs out of her face. 

*Hyne, how I missed waking up like this...* he thought to himself as she moved a bit from the touch of his hands. She snuggled closer to him and whispered his name, making him feel warm all over. The sunlight cast a golden glow over her pale face as he watched her intently. Slowly, he turned his head to the night stand. 

The clock flashed '8:23 am'. He silently wondered if she had anything to do that day that she should have already woken up for. "What time is it...?" she moaned from where she was situated. She opened on eye and peered at him with chocolate brown eyes. 

"Not even eight thirty," he replied softly. He kissed her head. "Good morning." 

"Good morning," she replied back. She smiled as she crawled over his body and kissed him on the lips. She laid on top of him and played with his thick locks of brown hair. "You haven't lost your touch." 

Squall instantly grew flustered, although none the less flattered. His arms went around her body, keeping her firmly on top of him. "I think I need some more practice." he grinned. 

Rinoa was about to agree when something heavy jumped on their bed. They looked over and saw Angelo coming towards them. Rinoa giggled as she rolled off of Squall and sat up, bringing the sheets to her chest. "Hey, girl..." she cooed. "Good morning to you, too." 

Squall let out a sigh and sat up as well. He allowed the sheets to fall to his waist as he reached out and scratched the canine behind her ear. "Good morning, Angelo," he told the dog who gave a small bark in reply. "Couldn't wait to wake us up, could you?" 

She barked again and Rinoa kissed the tip of her nose. "Okay, baby, let's get you some breakfast. You're hungry, aren't you?" Angelo barked once more and Rinoa giggled some more. Angelo jumped off the bed and seemed to prance around the room as Rinoa swung her feet off the bed. 

She felt two arms go around her waist and pull her back. She let out a help as she fell across Squall's lap. "Are you coming back?" he asked intently. 

Rinoa smiled and blushed. "Maybe," she teased. "We'll see if I feel like it." 

He gave her a questioning look as she wiggled out of his grasp and stood up. She brought one of the thin bed sheets with her, wrapping it around herself like a toga as Squall was left with the comforter. He watched her leave the room with Angelo at her heels. 

He looked at the clock once more and decided he had to get up. Even though he was on vacation, he couldn't bring himself to slouch around the whole day. Rinoa was outside, putting kibble in Angelo's bowl when she heard Squall's shower go on. Suddenly the phone rang. Rinoa jumped and clutched the bed sheet toga around her as she walked towards the phone. 

"Hello, Rinoa?" a female voice said on the other line. Rinoa new the voice was familiar and it ran through her head until she found out who it belonged to. 

"Shizuka! Hi, how's it going?" Rinoa said casually. 

"Oh, you remembered me!" Zell's girlfriend said, feeling somewhat relieved. "We were wondering what happened to you and Squall yesterday?" 

Behind her, Zell, Irvine, and Selphie snickered as they sat around in Zell and and his girlfriend's room. She waved her hand to keep them quiet. Rinoa looked around her suite as she leaned against the breakfast bar and blushed. "Umm...well, we just stayed in the room all day catching up." 

"Oh really?" Shizuka said. She lifted her hand to her mouth to silence the other three. "Catching up, huh? You two missed a fun day at the water park." 

"Oh, you went?" Rinoa asked. She wandered into her room to change. "How was it?" 

"Great! Irvine lost his hat, but he found it later," Shizuka replied. "So, are you two free this evening?" 

"I believe we are," Rinoa said. "Do you guys want to have dinner?" 

"Yeah, we were wondering if you guys were interested in joining us for dinner tonight. That is...if you're not busy..." Shizuka said. 

"Oh, no we're not busy," Rinoa replied. She looked at herself in the mirror and smirked at how messy her hair was. "What time?" 

"Around...seven at the Blue Crystal," Shizuka said. "So dress nice!" 

"I will!" Rinoa said. "So what's the occasion?" 

"Occasion!?" Shizuka nearly screamed. She looked at the other three nervously. "Uh...umm..." 

"Oh no, she's weakening!" Irvine said. 

"Just hang up the phone!" Selphie whispered quickly. 

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "Is that Irvine and Selphie?" 

"Uh...Zell's here! Got to go! Bye!" Rinoa jumped back as she heard the phone slam. The dial tone echoed in her ear and she narrowed her eyes at it suspiciously. 

Two arms wrapped around her waist. "What's wrong?" 

"I think Irvine, Selphie, Zell, and Shizuka are up to something..." Rinoa murmured as she felt him nuzzle his head against hers. 

"Shizuka? Whose she?" 

"What do you mean, whose she?" Rinoa said, rolling her eyes. "Zell's girlfriend. Honestly, Squall..." 

"Oh yeah..." he mumbled. *Her birthday party is tonight...I have to remember to bring her.* "So what did they want?" 

"We're going to the Blue Crystal tonight for dinner," Rinoa said as she tossed the phone on the bed. She turned around to face him. "So dress nicely..." Her voice trailed off as she stared at him. "Oh, wow..." 

Squall smiled lopsidedly as he blushed. "I...um...I ran out of towels." 

* * *

"A puppy?" Quistis asked as she looked over at Selphie, who was skating slowly next to her. "Hmm...I guess you can. But I'd check with Squall or Headmaster first." 

"Yeah, I guess so," Selphie said. She giggled cheerfully. "I can't believe Irvine is going to buy me a puppy!" 

"Have you decided on what kind?" 

Selphie shook her head. "I think I'll go to the shelter and see," Selphie said. "Even if it's already a grown dog." 

"What about a name?" Shizuka asked. 

"I haven't thought about that," Selphie said. "We'll have to see the dog. I'll name the dog what I think it should be named." 

"Maybe I should ask Zell for a puppy..." Shizuka whispered. "No, they're too energetic. Maybe a cat." 

"Oh...I bet you can keep it in the library and no one will know!" Selphie said. "We can call it Library Cat!" 

"No, no," Quistis said. "Cats tend to chew on the corners of papers." 

"That's true..." Shizuka sighed. "Still, a cat would be fun to have." 

"I'd like a black one." Selphie agreed as they began to make their second round around the ice rink. 

"I'd like a fluffy one. It doesn't matter what color." Quistis added. 

Shizuka sighed contently. "I want a little blond kitty with black markings on it's face," Quistis and Selphie exchanged looks and giggled. "What?" 

"Nothing," Selphie giggled. "It's just...who does that remind you of?" 

"I don't know..." Shizuka mumbled. She thought for a moment. "Quistis?" 

Back at the outside of the rink, Zell skated off after the girls as Seifer sat on a bench, meticulously tying his laces. He was taking his sweet time, the memory of getting smacked in the face with a hockey puck still fresh. Someone sat next to him. 

"How much did it cost you?" Irvine said. 

"75 gil," Seifer replied. Irvine winced. "Plus tip." 

Irvine let out a heavy sigh. "How about I just pay you 85 gil?" 

"That sounds about right," Seifer sat up straight and checked his laces. "But don't try to stick me with the bill again. You're lucky Quistis was there." 

Irvine smiled weakly. "Sorry..." 

"Seifer, Irvine!" Quistis called as she passed them. "Come on, you two! Seifer, are you scared of the ice?" 

"NO!" Seifer growled as Irvine stood up and walked past him. "What the hell gave you that idea!?" 

Quistis rolled her eyes and put her hands on her waist as she stopped. "Well, after you were hit in the face with a puck-" 

"I'm sorry, by the way!" Shizuka said as she skated by with Zell. Seifer grumbled. 

"I'm not scared of the ice!" he growled. He stomped over and got on, skating with skill towards Quistis. "See?" 

Quistis smiled and took his hand. "No tricks this time, okay?" He nodded. The person in charge of the music over the rink announced that it was time for couples free skate. Quistis looked over at Seifer, who suddenly had a competitive gleam in his eyes. "No, Seifer." 

"Why not?" Seifer pouted as he looked over at her. Selphie and Irvine flew past them with Selphie being propped up on Irvine's shoulder. It didn't match with the slow music that was playing. 

"Whoo-hoo!" She shouted as they passed. 

"They're beating us, Quistis..." Seifer grumbled as he pointed them out. 

"They're not beating us since there is no competition," Quistis explained. He tugged on her hand. "NO." 

"Too late!" He grabbed Quistis' arm as she let out a scream. He pulled her into his arms. "Nothing fancy, I swear." 

Quistis let out a tired sigh. "Fine..." As the lights dimmed slightly, they began to skate around the rink. 

* * *

There was knocking at the door and Squall grumbled. "I'll get it." Rinoa said as she sat up from her bed. He sighed and put down the book he was reading. 

"No, you sit," he said, pushing her back down gently. Rinoa was leaning against the head board, writing in her song book. Squall had been laying next to her, on his stomach, reading a random book that had been on her night stand. "I'll get it." 

"Are you sure?" she asked. 

"It might be lunch," he stated. He rolled off the bed and walked on the thick rug with bare feet. He was wearing a worn jeans over dark blue boxers. That was it. Rinoa was in gray cotton pants and wore a knit light blue sweater over a white T-shirt. Squall walked outside and opened the door. "Hello-AH!" 

"Squall!" *SLAM* 

"Squall?" Rinoa shouted from the room. She put her note book down. "Who was that?" 

"No one!" he shouted loudly as he began to lock all the locks on the door. Rinoa got off the bed and put on her fuzzy slippers. She walked towards the door and frowned. 

"Squall..." she said. She moved him aside and looked out the peep hole. Outside was a very confused looking Laguna. She gasped and frowned. "It's Laguna!" 

"I know." 

"Oh, Hyne..." she sighed and moved his aside and opened the door. "Hi, Laguna! How are you doing?" 

"Good afternoon, Rinoa!" Laguna said. "I haven't see you two in a few days-" 

"It's been one day." Squall cut him off from within the room. Rinoa rolled her eyes and stepped to the side. 

"Come in, Laguna," she said. "Have a seat." 

He nodded and walked in, dressed in khaki pants and a long sleeve shirt under a warm pink sweater. Squall shook his head. *He has hideous taste in clothing, too...* 

"Do you want something to drink?" Rinoa said. Laguna sat down at the table, across from were Squall was leaning against the wall with a frown. 

"No, no," Laguna said. Rinoa took a seat across from him and waved for Squall to join them. Grumbling, the handsome captain sat down next to Rinoa. "So... how are you two?" 

"Great!" Rinoa said with a smile. She grabbed Squall's hand. "I guess since you're here, you should be the first to know!" 

"Oh my Hyne!" Laguna said, his eyes getting big. "You're going to have a baby! Thank Hyne! I thought I was never going to be a grandfather!" He wiped his brow and Rinoa looked at him confused. 

Squall just looked at if as if he were crazy. "No!" Squall shouted. "Rinoa and I are back together!" 

"Oh..." Laguna said. He continued to smile brightly. "That's just as good. I'm very happy for you two. Squall! You have my blessings." 

"What? Why-" 

"Thank you, Laguna," Rinoa giggled as she squeezed Squall's hand. "We're going to try to make it work out this time." 

"If you two need anything at all, just tell me," Laguna told them. "So..." he looked over to Squall. "Will this lead to...?" 

*Marriage!?* Squall's mind shouted. "We haven't thought that far," he answered simply. "But I don't plan on letting Rinoa go any time soon." 

"I'm very happy to see you two back together," Laguna said proudly. "I never doubted that you two would get together again." 

Squall turned red as Rinoa smiled brightly. "Laguna, do you mind taking Angelo out for her walk?" she asked. "We'd do it ourselves, but we kind of just want to relax." 

"Of course I'll take Angelo out," Laguna said. He let out a whistle and the dog stumbled out of Rinoa's room, wagging her tail happily. "C'mon, Angelo...you want to go with Grandpa outside?" 

Angelo seemed to think for a moment before barking. Rinoa stood up and handed Laguna Angelo's leash. "Okay, Angelo. Be good for grandpa, okay?" Angelo barked and the man and the dog left the suite. 

"Your dad is so sweet," Rinoa said as she sat back at the table with Squall. He was looking down at the table seriously. "What's wrong?" 

"I know we're going to try to work this out," he said quietly. "But how? I can't give up being a SeeD and you can't give up being a singer..." 

"No one is asking you to give up anything," Rinoa said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Squall...I want to be with you again. I want to go to bed next to you and wake up in your arms. And I'm willing to work it out to achieve it." 

"So what are we going to do?" Squall asked as he looked up at her. "The last time we were in this situation, we drifted apart. I don't want that to happen again," He took his her hand and kissed it softly. "I don't want to loose you, Rinoa." 

"Squall..." she whispered quietly as she caressed his face. "You're not going to loose me." 

"Then what are we going to do?" 

"I want to move back in with you," Rinoa said softly. "I want to go back to the Garden. I miss it, Squall. I miss you, I miss everyone. I've had my time in the spot light and I've moved on. I want to produce rather than perform. Seifer and I have decided that now's a good time to start our own label." 

"I don't want you to give up singing for me." Squall said. "That's a big part of you." 

"I'm not giving it up for you," she stated strongly. "I'm just not going to be as active in touring. I can still record things...I just...I just want to be near you." 

"Are you sure?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded. 

"That is unless you're not willing-" 

"I want you to move back in!" Squall said. "I got a better room after my promotion. It's good enough for the both of us...It's not as good as anything you've had in the last few years, but-" 

"As long as you're there with me, I'll be fine," she said as she pulled him up. She put her arms around his neck. "Please, Squall...?" 

Squall nodded. "I'll tell Cid tomorrow," he told her softly. "He won't have a problem with it, I think." 

"I guess I should tell my father that I'm moving out of Deling and back to Balamb..." she trailed off. "He won't be too happy." 

"I don't think he likes me." Squall mumbled. Rinoa giggled. 

"He doesn't HATE you...at least I don't think he does..." Rinoa trailed off. She shook her head and kissed him on the cheek. "So...are we going to tell the others tonight?" 

"Sure," Squall said as he looked down at her. "As long as Laguna hasn't blurted it out yet." 

"Huh..." Rinoa frowned. "Now that you say that, they all probably know already." 

* * *

Rinoa was dressed in a short, halter style, light blue dress. She wore a sheer white duster over it and light blue heels. Her hair was up in a bun and a few bangs escaped it, falling over her eyes. She gripped her white purse in one hand as the other dragged Squall behind her. 

Squall was wearing a sharp black suit with a navy blue shirt under a silver tie. Rinoa had picked it out for him and he had been hesitant at wearing it. He did anyway, as Rinoa seemed so energetic about it. They arrived at the Blue Crystal. 

"Miss Heartilly," the woman said. "Your friends are waiting for you in a private room." 

Rinoa nodded. "All right." She looked over at Squall, who was looking around the dimly lit club. Music was pounding all around them as they followed the woman up a set of stairs to the private lounge. From there, they went towards one of the larger private rooms. Rinoa thanked the woman and Squall opened the door for her. 

He stepped aside, trying to hide his smile, as Rinoa stepped in. Suddenly, shouts were heard as well as clapping as Rinoa's eyes went wide. "SURPRISE!!" Selphie and the others screamed. 

Rinoa let out a loud cheer as she ran to hug the nearest person. She and Selphie jumped up and down energetically as Squall looked over the long table. Everyone was seated with a place at the head of the table for Rinoa. There was an empty seat next to her, to the right, where Squall would sit. 

Selphie quickly ushered them to their seats. "Thank you so much!" Rinoa said, almost in tears. "You guys shouldn't have!" 

"You were busy on your birthday, ya know," Raijin said. "So you didn't have a good birthday party, ya know." 

"With friends!" Fujin added. 

"Thanks, guys..." Rinoa said as she sniffled joyously. "That's so sweet. I love you guys!" 

"Okay, the food is still being prepared," Selphie said loudly. "So let's just move on to the presents, shall we? Irvine! Grab that box!" 

She pointed to the large box looming behind the cowboy. He turned around and grabbed it. It was passed along the table until it got to Rinoa. "Can I open it now?" she asked. 

"Of course!" everyone shouted. Giddily, Rinoa tore it open and squealed with joy. 

"How CUTE!!" she squealed as she held up the black bear with the angel wings on it's back. "Thank you!" 

"Wait, it comes with an Angelo!" Selphie said. Rinoa dug into the box and brought up a stuffed dog that looked like Angelo. She burst into laughter as she hugged both of them. 

"Thank you, Selphie!" 

"The dog was my idea!" Irvine added. 

"That means he was too cheap to buy you something on his own." Zell snickered. Irvine elbowed him and the table laughed. 

"Here, open mine!" Ellone said. Another present wrapped in bright red was passed along the table until it got to Rinoa. 

The young woman tore it open and lifted out a brown bear wearing a leather jacket and holding a miniature gunblade. As soon as it was seen, the entire table burst into laughter as Squall flushed. "It's so adorable!!" Rinoa cried out. 

"Hey! Now you have matching bears!" Irvine laughed. 

"That's so cute, Rinoa!" Shizuka added. 

"Look, Squall, he looks like you!" Rinoa said, holding up the stuffed animal next to Squall, who was blushing. 

"Great..." he mumbled. 

"Thank you, Ellone!" Rinoa said. She gently put the bear back into the box and put it next to her. 

"Mine next! Mine next!" Laguna shouted energetically. 

Kiros rolled his eyes as he carried over a large box. "He means OURS. That's from Laguna, Ward, and myself, princess." 

"Thank you!" Rinoa said. 

"You have to kneel down and open it on the floor." Laguna said proudly. 

Rinoa looked a bit confused, but nodded. She knelt down next to the box and opened it. "Oh, Hyne!" 

Immediately, the entire table heard tiny barking and Rinoa's eyes went wide. She reached into the box and lifted up a small puppy. It looked like a miniature, darker version of Angelo. "A puppy!!!" Laguna shouted. "I took Angelo to see her earlier and she liked her!" 

"Oh, Hyne, thank you!" Rinoa said as she held the puppy in her arms. She reached up and hugged Laguna and Kiros and Ward before returning to her seat with the puppy in her arms. "What am I going to name her?" 

"Whatever you want," Kiros said. "Ward says we didn't name her, so you could." 

"Thanks so much!" Rinoa said as she kissed the puppy. "Oh...what am I going to name, you sweetie?" 

"Wait a second," Seifer said from the other end of the table. "Before we get any further, I want to give you a present from Fujin, Raijin, Quisty, and myself." 

He passed down an envelope. When it got to Squall, Rinoa told him to open it for her while she held her new puppy. Squall lifted out some papers. "What is it?" Rinoa asked, confused. 

"It's the plans for a building in Balamb," Seifer said casually. "Read the plan title." 

Rinoa looked down and her eyes went wide. "Oh my Hyne..." she said, almost in shock. "'Angelic Productions'..." Her eyes went to the four people at the other end of the table. "You guys started building the recording studio and production building!" 

They nodded and Rinoa burst into tears, stammering about how happy she was. "We'll still have the branch in Deling City," Seifer told her. "Fujin and Raijin will be running that." 

"Wait a second, what about you?" Zell said. "Where are you going?" 

"Oh," Quistis said. "I can answer that. It's already been okayed by Cid and everything. Seifer and I are moving in together!" 

At that, Rinoa burst into more tears joy. "That's amazing!" she cried out. "I'm so happy!" 

Squall chuckled as he reached out and wiped her eyes. "Shall we tell them, Rinoa?" She nodded weakly. "Rinoa's moving back to the Garden," Squall said with a slight smile on his usually cold face. "We're back together." 

* * *

Next Time:  
Who wants to name the puppy!? Give me ideas people! And we all know that the Garden is on lock down right now, but something's up with it and Squall MIGHT have to leave. Does this mean we have a plot!? NO! ^_^ 


	10. Back to the Garden

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Ten: Back to the Garden_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: I can't remember where I found out Angelo was a girl, all I know is that I was surprised. -_-;; Thanks for all the name suggestions! I wish I had more puppies to name, but I liked the idea of Selphie's puppy being named after Irvine or something that reminded her of Irvine. I'm thinking 'Irvy-poo'...yes, I will eventually find something better. @.@ And we'll make it a shitzu. And to go along with Angelo, we'll have Demona - something opposite Angelo. How's that? ^_^ MORE Shout Outs! Thanks to all the reviewers who suggested names!!! 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Rinoa jumped up and down and moved her arms and legs as she danced on the lower floor dance floor with the other girls. Squall sat up on the balcony, over looking the dance floor. He took a sip of his drink and looked back over the balcony. Rinoa saw him and waved energetically. 

He gave a slight wave back before being slapped in the back. He whirled around and saw Zell and Irvine joining him. "What's up?" Zell said. "How come you're not down there dancing with the others?" he shouted above the music. 

"I can't dance." Squall stated simply. He turned back to his drink and Irvine and Zell shook their heads. 

"Rinoa's waiting for you!" Irvine shouted. "Come on, you can't leave her down there the whole time!" 

"I'll come down when I feel like it." he replied casually. 

"That means he's never coming down," Zell sighed. "Could you at least watch my coat? It's getting hot down there." 

Squall nodded as Zell and Irvine put their coats on the table next to Squall. They stood up and headed back down the stairs. Squall looked up and through the open door of their private room, he saw Laguna carefully trying to teach the new puppy to sit. Squall shook his head. 

*She can't learn when she's that young...* Squall thought to himself. He turned back to the dance floor when a heavy ringing reached his ear. Even through the high energy, pumping sounds of the music, he could hear it. It was a familiar ring tone - simple and to the point. 

"Squall! Join us!" a voice shouted from downstairs. Squall couldn't hear it as he was concentrating on finding the source of the sound. It was a cellular phone and it was hidden somewhere in the folds of Irvine's jacket. 

*That's MY phone!* Squall said. He hesitated, wondering if he had a right to go through Irvine's jacket. *It's MY phone,* he reminded himself. Without a second through, he dug through the cowboy's jacket and pulled out a sleek little black phone and flipped it open to the screen. His eyes went wide. *Oh, shit...* 

* * *

Selphie looked over at Irvine and slowed her dancing down. "Irvy, where's your jacket!?" she shouted over the loud music. Irvine pointed to the balcony upstairs where he could barely make out Squall's head. 

"I left it with Squall!" Irvine shouted. "It was getting hot." 

Selphie's eyes went wide. "Irvine, his PHONE is in your jacket!" she nearly screamed. 

"So!?" Irvine said. "What are the chances of it going off!?" 

Selphie looked back up at the balcony and saw Squall standing up, looking seriously concerned as he talked rapidly into a black phone. "Oh, Hyne!!" Selphie shouted. 

She took off to the side. Rinoa caught her in the corner of her eye as she ran up the stairs. Irvine was about to run after here, when Rinoa grabbed his sleeve. "Where's she going!?" she shouted. 

"Upstairs!" Irvine said. "Squall got a hold of his cell phone!" 

"Oh, okay!" Rinoa said, not really understanding what the big deal was. She let go of Irvine and continued to dance with the others while Irvine ran after Selphie. By the time she got to the upper level, Squall was finishing up the call. 

"Yes, sir, I'll get right on it!" Squall was shouting. "It shouldn't be a problem!" 

"Oh no..." Selphie frowned. Squall pulled the phone away from his ear and closed it. He put his hands on the table and took a deep breath. "Squall?" 

"The alarms went off at the Garden," Squall said. "It might just be a gas leak or something, but I have to go back and check on it." 

"No!" Selphie said. "We'll do it! Irvine and I will go!" 

"We will?" Irvine asked. Selphie shot him a looked and he nodded. "Yeah! Yeah, we will!" 

Squall shook his head and put the phone in his pocket. "You can't, you need a code that I have." 

"Then give us your code!" Selphie asserted, as if it were so simple. 

"I can't," Squall stated. "It can access confidential files, you know that." 

"Well, you can't just leave," Irvine said. "You're on vacation!" 

"I need to go check on the Garden before it opens up the week after next," Squall told them. "We can't have students and SeeDs returning to the Garden if there is a gas leak." 

"So, you're just going to leave?" Selphie piped, almost shocked. "But you've barely been here a week!" 

"You'll come back right?" Irvine added. He gave a slight smile. "I mean, you WILL come back...won't you?" 

Squall took a deep breath and shook his head unsurely. "I don't know...it depends when the problem is fixed." 

"Squall, you can't leave!" Selphie pleaded. "You and Rinoa just got back together! You can't just leave!" 

"Selphie, I have, too," Squall said. "I need to go and buy a ticket." 

"A ticket to where...?" a softer voice said behind them. Squall looked past Selphie and Irvine and swore. He closed his eyes and looked away. 

"Balamb," Squall told Rinoa hesitantly. "The alarms went off at the Garden and I have to go check on them." 

"Can't someone else do it?" she asked. Squall shook his head. "Oh...well, when are you coming back?" 

"I don't know," he stated softly. "It depends when everything is fixed," He looked up and met her eyes reluctantly. "Rinoa, I'm sorry-" 

"It's okay!" she said with a warm smile. She extended her hand. "Let me get my stuff and tell Laguna." 

"What...why?" Squall asked, confused. 

"I'm coming with you." 

* * *

Squall looked down at the young woman sleeping next to him on the train. Her head was leaning against his shoulder as a small dog curled up at her lap while Angelo curled up at their feet. He sighed tiredly. 

*How did I let her talk me into this?* he asked himself for the billionth time. And for the billionth time, he answered, *Because part of you wanted her to go. That's why you caved.* 

He heard yipping and looked over. The Angelo miniature dog barked quietly at him and Squall smiled. He reached over and picked up the small dog, placing her on his lap. "What's wrong, Demona? Is the ride making you sick?" 

She whimpered slightly and Angelo stood up. She sat in front of Squall and Demona and comfortingly licked the puppy's face. "You'll be all right," Squall told her quietly as he placed her on the seat across from him. Angelo jumped up and sat next to Demona, curling the puppy next to her. "Angelo will make sure of that." 

The little dog yipped some more and snuggled against Angelo's fur. Squall felt a smaller hand go over his. "Mmm...how much longer?" 

"We're almost there," he assured Rinoa as he leaned down and kissed her head. "Are you excited?" 

"I'm just hoping that it's nothing serious," Rinoa yawned tired as she sat straight up. She stretched out a little. "Is Demona okay?" 

"She's fine," Squall assured her. "Did you have a good nap?" 

"Yes...did you sleep at all?" Squall shook his head and Rinoa let out a heavy sigh. "Squall, you have to get some rest." 

"I can rest all I want after we get to the Garden and we figure out what's wrong," Squall said. "Anyway, Cid contacted Nida and Nida's already there." 

"Does he know what's wrong?" 

"Not yet," Squall replied. "We'll find out and then as soon as we fix it, we'll go back to the resort." 

"I need to get back by this weekend," she said as she looked at her watch. "Seifer wasn't too happy when I told him that I was going with you to the Garden." 

Squall rolled his eyes. "Not happy is an understatement..." 

_ "Where are you going?" Seifer asked as he and Quistis arrived at the private room where Rinoa was packing her things away neatly. _

"To Balamb Garden." 

"No, really. Where are you going?" Seifer insisted. Quistis went over to talk to Squall, who was telling Zell and the others what was going on. 

"To Balamb Garden," Rinoa said. "Squall has to go back and I'm going with him." 

Seifer's eyebrows furrowed. "You ARE aware that you have a shoot this weekend, right?" 

"Right." 

"And you will be back by then, I'm assuming?" 

"Uh...sure..." 

"Rinoa, this is serious," Seifer stated. "Don't flake out." 

"I'm not flaking out!" she insisted. 

"Why do you have to go anyway? Isn't this Captain Puberty's problem?" Seifer said as he looked over at the group. 

"I want to stay with Squall!" Rinoa insisted stubbornly as she lifted up her puppy in her arms. 

"What about the video!?" 

"The video will be fine!" 

"It's not a music video without the singer!" Seifer growled. "You better be back by this weekend!" 

"And if I'm not!" 

"Then...then..." Seifer stammered. "Quisty! Help me out!" 

Then Seifer freaked out about the deadlines and the cost of producing the video and then gave her a never ending lecture on how much effort it took him to book a certain director and how her make-up crew was coming specifically for the shoot. 

Even as they drove them to the station, Seifer continued his speech about how she was making it difficult for everyone, including her precious Squall. As she waved out the train to the others, Seifer continued to screech out "YOU BETTER BE HERE!!!" 

"He'll deal," Rinoa stated casually. "So...um...you have a new room?" 

"Yeah, it's more like a little suite now," he said casually as he looked over some papers that he had set aside earlier. "It has a small kitchen and a couch. There's a desk." 

"What about the bed?" Rinoa asked hesitantly. 

Squall felt his face grow warm as he avoided eye contact. "What ABOUT the bed?" 

"Well...is it...you know..." Rinoa stammered. "Will it fit two people?" 

Squall looked up at her. "I thought you might want your own room, like before." 

"Right! Right!" Rinoa gasped. "My own room! Of course! What was I thinking right? Of course, I'm getting my own room." Squall smiled slightly and put the papers down. He reached over and drew her into her arms. 

"I would rather you stay with me," he whispered into her ear. Rinoa flushed deeply as she felt his lips against her cheeks. The slowly worked down her neck as he tugged on her jacket to reveal some more skin to kiss. "Is that all right?" 

She let out an incoherent whimper and he took that as a yes. He closed his eyes as he slowly moved his mouth against her nape. Rinoa chewed on her bottom lip. She wanted to giggle, being extremely pleased. She opened her eyes and two brown orbs went wide. "Squall..." she said. 

"Hmmm?" he whispered roughly as his hand cupped her chin and turned her head more towards him. 

"Squ...Squall, stop..." Rinoa said nervously. 

Squall frowned. "Why...?" He opened his eyes and looked up. Immediately, Squall shot him a cold look. Rinoa covered her face with her hand and shook her head, embarrassed. 

A train attendant stood there, his head turned away as a blush covered his face. "Uh...we've arrived in Balamb..." 

* * *

Squall carried a duffel bag with him and one of Rinoa's bags. Rinoa carried a paper bag with dog food in one hand and a small dog's carrier in the other. Angelo walked next to them, looking excited as she re-entered a familiar place. 

"It hasn't changed much," Rinoa said as she followed Squall into the building. "Should we put the things away?" 

"Let's head up to the control room first," Squall said. "Nida should be there. Maybe he can tell us what's wrong." 

Rinoa nodded. She decided that it was a good idea, seeing as if would be safer as well. What if they went straight to his room to put their things away and it was infected with some airborne disease. She looked down at Angelo and since the dog didn't seem to smell something weird, she decided it must be safe. 

They got into an elevator and Rinoa looked around. She smiled and giggled. Squall looked over at her strangely. "What?" she asked, still trying to suppress her giggles. 

"Why are you laughing?" he asked, confused. 

"I once caught Zell and Shizuka making out in an elevator," Rinoa snickered. "I was waiting to go to back to my room and when the doors opened, they were all over each other. I couldn't stop snickering as they tried to talk their way out of it and play it off." 

Squall smiled slightly. The elevator let out a ping and the doors slid open. They walked out, followed by Angelo, and headed down the corridor to the control room. Rinoa looked around. It was still the same old Garden. 

The sliding doors opened and they walked into the room. Nida looked up. "Oh, good, you're here just in time," he said as he stood up. He noticed someone behind Squall. "Whose...Rinoa?" 

"Hi, Nida!" Rinoa smiled brightly. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, shocked, yet slightly pleased. Squall seemed somewhat pleasant rather than the irritated captain he had expected to arrive. 

"Checking out my new home," she winked. "So, let's find out the problem so we can fix it and relax." 

"Okay, well..." Nida looked back at the screens and panels. "Squall's guess was right. It is a gas leak on the lower levels. I've contacted some service repair men to come and fix it, but we need Squall's code to enter those levels." 

"Have you closed off the surrounding areas?" Squall asked. Nida nodded. "Make sure to vent them." 

"Right," Nida said. 

"When will the repair men get here?" Squall asked. 

"This afternoon," Nida said. "They'll meet us by the front of the Garden and we'll escort them to the lower levels." 

"Do we need any special equipment?" 

"I'm assuming that they'll bring breathing masks with them," Nida replied. "But for our own safety, we should get a pair from the stock room." 

Squall nodded. "All right. Make sure that the other rooms that have been effected are closed off and vented. Keep the room with the leak contained until the repair men get here. Call me when they arrive and I'll meet you at the front." 

"Yes, captain," Nida said. He gave Squall a salute. "Uh...should I call your office or your...um...private line?" 

Rinoa looked over at Squall who narrowed his eyes. "My OFFICE." he stated strongly. Nida nodded. 

"Right...of course!" he stammered nervously. Rinoa just smiled. 

"It was nice seeing you again, Nida." Rinoa waved and Nida smiled back before turning back to his work. Squall lead Rinoa and Angelo back to the elevator. 

They rode it to the level where Squall's new room was. "It's kind of a mess," Squall said. "They made me leave for Trabia on such short notice, I didn't have a chance to clean up." 

Rinoa nodded, expecting his room to be littered with clothes and probably stacks of papers on his desk. The door slid open and they stepped in. "Lair." Rinoa said as she looked around the room. It was covered with a dark colored rug. To the right of the door was a small kitchen with a mini fridge. There was a small circular table next to it with one chair. 

Across from the 'kitchen' was a living area. It had a simple couch with a large television in front of it. There was a small wooden coffee table between the two littered with several magazines and three DVDs. Across from the door was a shelf of books next to a door. 

Squall wandered through the door, tossing his leather jacket on his desk, which was opposite the living area. It was neatly organized with papers set up in their own color coordinated stack. Even the pens were kept neat and organized. Rinoa knelt down and put the dog carrier on the floor. She opened it and Demona tumbled out, yipping for attention. 

Angelo came over and the little dog followed Angelo to explore the new room. "You can put your stuff here!" Squall's voice called from the bedroom. 

Rinoa blushed slightly as she walked across the room and into the bedroom. Squall was opening the curtains that looked outside across one wall. It was quite a large window and went from one end of the room to the other. In the middle of the room was a simple king sized bed with a black head board. There was a night stand on each side with a simple black lamp on each. 

He had a wardrobe and a dresser to one corner and another shelf of books to one side with a smaller television on top of it along with a DVD player. She turned her head to one side and saw the bathroom. It was small, but kept neat. "You're such a neat freak, Squall." 

"I like to be organized," he answered as he walked over to the phone by his bed. He pressed some buttons to get his office calls forwarded to his bedroom. Squall sat on the edge of his bed and looked at her from where she was standing at the door way. "Well? What do you think?" 

"It's nice," Rinoa nodded. "A lot of room...but that's probably because you keep it simple." She put her bag on the floor and walked over to the bed. She sat on the edge and smiled as she sank in. 

"Did you expect it to be hard?" Squall chuckled as he fell back on his pillows. "The original bed was taken by Irvine...I don't know WHERE he was going to fit it. But Selphie said that I should get a better bed after they helped me move in. So she and Irvine went out and got me this one for my birthday." 

"That was nice of them," Rinoa said as she bounced on it. She turned around and removed the boots off her feet before crawling next to him. "Speaking of birthdays, what did you get me? I don't recall ever getting a present from you." 

"How about a vacation away from everyone?" Squall offered. 

"Nice try," Rinoa replied. She laid down next to her and stared up at his ceiling. Squall's eyes were drifting to sleep as they laid there. "Squall...?" she whispered after a few moments. 

"What?" he asked in a tired voice. His eyes were closed, but he kept on arm around Rinoa. 

"Are you my birthday present?" she asked quietly. 

Squall paused. "What do you think?" he finally asked. 

Rinoa closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. "Thank you." 

* * *

Next Time:  
You're alone in the Garden. What would YOU do? Squall and Rinoa indulge themselves in some light hearted fun and are caught in a surprise visit when the others drop in. If we get around to it, Selphie and Irvine go get her new puppy (or adult dog). Still no plot. 


	11. Alone in the Garden

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Eleven: Garden of Eden_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Please remember that I have to keep this PG-13. ^_^;; Therefore there will be no 'getting some' for Rinoa and Squall. At least none that will be described in detail. Brief nudity!!! 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Squall looked back into the room. The call had just arrived from Nida. The repair men had arrived and they would meet Squall in the entry area of the lower levels so that he could let them in. Before he left, he looked over his shoulder. 

Rinoa was taking a nap and Angelo and Demona had taken their spots next to her. His spot on the bed was now vacant. He had laid there, reading some work he left behind for the last two hours. "How long is it going to take...?" a quiet voice said before he stepped out of the bedroom. 

"I don't know. I'll be back as soon as everything is settled, all right?" he told her. 

"Okay..." Rinoa mumbled. "Um...Squall?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Since the Garden is closed...where are we going to get dinner?" 

* * *

Rinoa knew it was going to happen, but Squall just had to go and make sure. And much to his regret, for the first time ever, the cafeteria was closed. Rinoa shook her head as she held Demona in her hands. 

"I told you." 

"Let's just go get something in town then," he said. Angelo was walking next to them. "My car's in the garage." 

"When did you buy a car?" Rinoa asked. *I KNOW he didn't have one before I left...he said it was useless to have one since all he left the Garden for was missions...* 

Squall shrugged as they got into the elevator and took it down to the garage. It had been built, connected to the Garden, after it was resettled on the plains. "When I got promoted, I had an increase in salary. Selphie and Zell kept pestering me to get a car, so I did." 

"You just wanted them off your case, didn't you?" Rinoa asked, raising an eyebrow in question. Squall nodded sheepishly. "I knew it." 

"It's just a car," Squall stated as the elevator doors opened. He lead her down a dimly lit corridor. Squall had made sure that Nida shut down the general power levels to low so save on money. "As long as it's about to do the job." 

*That means he bought a pile of crap,* Rinoa thought to herself. "I guess so..." *Maybe I should buy him a car for his next birthday...* 

They approached a sliding door and Squall swiped his key card. The doors slid open and he and Rinoa walked into a large, spacious area marked with white lines on the pavement. There were a few cars left and Rinoa recognized Quistis' white sedan in the instructor's parking area, in a space reserved for her. 

Zell's car was also there, parked in the exact same area where it was when Rinoa left. Selphie's yellow coupe was next to it and next to hers, Irvine's shiny red sports car. They had made fun of it when he got it and told him it was compensating for something. Then Selphie was quick to point out that it DEFINATELY wasn't. 

Squall reached into the pocket of his leather jacket, a newer version of his older one, and pulled out his keys. He lifted up a keyless remote and somewhere in the garage, a car beeped. "There it is..." he said as he pointed ahead of them. 

Rinoa nearly fell over. *So much for my pile of crap theory...* It took up it's own personal parking space, twice the size of everyone else's, except maybe Cid and Edea's. There was a sign that specifically said 'Captain Leonhart' on the wall behind it. It was a silver sports car and was relatively new. "Just a car?" 

"It gets me where I need to be," he shrugged. He opened the door for her and moved the seat forward so that Angelo could jump into the back. "Angelo, don't mess up daddy's car." he warned the dog before putting the seat back into place. He moved aside to Let Rinoa in before closing her door and getting into the driver's side. 

"Leather interior..." Rinoa whistled as she touched the seats. She looked over at Squall suspiciously. "Who are you and what have you done with my Squall?" 

He rolled his eyes as he started the car. Immediately, it roared with power and Rinoa glanced over. She barely caught the slight smile on his face as he listened to it start. His gloved hand went over the stick and before she knew it, they were out of the Garden and on the road to town. 

"I'm sure it's nothing compared to your car." Squall said as they comfortably cruised down the road. 

"Yeah, but I like it better when you drive," she said. She looked down at Demona. "What do you think, Demona? Does daddy drive good?" 

There came a yip and Rinoa giggled. "What do you want to eat for dinner, Rinoa?" 

"Anything is fine," she said. "We skipped lunch. Aren't you starving?" 

"I'm fine," Squall told her. "Is a sandwich all right?" 

"JUST a sandwich?" Rinoa frowned. Squall let out a tired sigh. 

"Well, what DO you want?" 

"A real meal." Rinoa stated. They were nearing the town and Squall looked around. The sun was setting in the background. 

"Seafood buffet-" 

"I had too much seafood at the resort." she cut him off. 

"Soup and Salad-" 

"Not filling enough." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Squall mumbled. "Steak house-" 

"Great idea! Let's go there!" she smiled. Squall glanced over at her, only to find her smiling at him intently. 

"You could've just said that to begin with." 

"I don't want to look like a pig..." Rinoa trailed off. He parked the car in front of a popular steak house. 

"We don't have reservations," Squall said as he helped Rinoa and Angelo out of the car. "And I don't know if they'll allow dogs inside." 

"If not, we'll just go to some out door bistro place," Rinoa replied. Squall nodded and they entered. Immediately, Rinoa was showered with attention for being a pop star. Luckily for them, it earned them a private room and a place for Angelo and Demona. "And you had your doubts..." she had told him smugly once they started eating. 

Dinner went well and they both ate quite a lot. They ended up walking the dogs in a nearby park for a while. Even in the dark, the patrons of the park recognized Rinoa as the singer and Squall as a high ranking SeeD. They talked and whispered as they saw the couple holding hands while the two dogs walked ahead of them. 

*So this is how it's going to be...* Squall thought to himself as they walked around on a path. *People are always going to look and stare at us...I forgot about that...* 

"Squall, are you all right?" Rinoa asked next to him. He looked over at her. She looked up at him, worried. "You look worried." 

"I am..." he mumbled. "Just a bit." 

Immediately, Rinoa frowned and brought herself closer. "Why? What's wrong?" she asked softly. 

"I just forgot about all the attention we draw when we're together," he told her as he squeezed her hand. "I'm just not used to it anymore." 

"Does it bother you?" she asked, almost looking pained as she asked. He shook his head. 

"I'll get used to it again," Squall said. "Besides, it has it's perks." 

She giggled and squeezed his hand. "So, where's Nida now?" 

"He left," Squall shrugged. "He was called away from Fisherman's Horizon." 

"Oh..." Rinoa mumbled. A sly smile crossed her face. "Does that mean that we have the Garden all to ourselves?" 

Squall nodded. "Some parts are on lock down, but basically yes. We do have the Garden all to ourselves. That reminds me, I was going to buy the tickets to go back to Trabia tomorrow-" 

"Let's leave before the weekend!" Rinoa energetically. She looked over at Squall. "That gives us three days to explore the Garden!" 

Squall tilted his head to the side. "Rinoa, I don't have to explore the Garden. I work there-" 

"We can practice drifts in the garage-" 

"Why do we have to stay-" 

"We can go up on the roof and watch the stars with Cid yelling at us to come down-" 

"Rinoa-" 

Her eyes went wide. "WE CAN GO SKINNY DIPPING IN THE POOL!!!!" 

"What about the security cameras?" Squall exclaimed as a blush rose to his face. "There are cameras all over the Garden-" 

"So, you can disable some for a while, right?" she asked energetically. 

"Yes, but-" 

"Great! Let's go! We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow!" 

* * *

"Honey, I don't think this a good idea..." Quistis said as she stepped on to the train with Seifer. "She'll be back on time." 

"You know how irresponsible she gets," Seifer stated as he lifted up their baggage and put it into the compartments above their seats. "She'll completely forget about the video." 

"We can just call her," Quistis said. "I'm sure she'll come..." Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn't believe herself. "Oh, Hyne...why did we let her go?" 

"Hey, I was against it. But you kept saying that she should have a chance to go out with Squall." Seifer shrugged. He let Quistis sit first before he sat down next to her. 

"That's true..." she sighed. She leaned her head against his shoulder as his larger hand wrapped around hers. "But what if we can't get into the Garden?" 

"You're an instructor, you should be able to," Seifer told her quietly. "Besides, we can always get them to let us in." 

Quistis smirked. "Do you seriously believe that when Rinoa sees that you've come after her to hound her to concentrate on her work, she'll let you in?" She snorted. "And I thought I was naive." 

"Quisty, baby," Seifer said intently. "Keep in mind that the only reason that I'm working this hard is for you," He kissed the top of her head. "I want to shower you with everything you could possibly want." 

"You already have..." 

"Did you want them, too?" Seifer grumbled as two people suddenly sat down across from them. 

"Tsk, tsk...get a room..." Irvine smirked as he and Selphie sat across from the blond couple. 

Quistis smiled and nodded. "They come with the package." 

Zell and his girlfriend sat across the aisle from them and Seifer silently wondered who they would have been better off sitting with. The flirty cowboy and his hyperactive chatterbox or the hot dog loving freak and his silent book worm? *Neither.* he decided. 

"Hey!" Zell called from across the aisle. The other four looked over at him. "Are they serving hotdogs?" 

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "I knew I should've brought my gunblade..." 

* * *

The entire day, Rinoa had spent anticipating. She had been so excited to know that they were completely alone in the Garden that she couldn't fall asleep. When she finally did, she woke up a merely three hours later. Then she was unable to fall back asleep. Squall found this slightly disturbing. 

Part of him was afraid. Afraid that Rinoa would go overboard and end up blowing something up or do something that will be caught in the security cameras. So when she suggested disabling a few, he gladly gave in. Another part of him was excited as well. Perhaps it the was prospect of swimming in the Garden's large, new pool naked with Rinoa also naked. 

It was three in the afternoon and he checked his watch again. He had set the cameras to be shut off in the pool at eight o'clock that night. The bad part was that the pool's electricity had been shut down to minimum level. Which meant that only the lights underwater would work. That he couldn't change. 

Rinoa had dragged Squall around the entire compound to be shown what had changed in the last few years. There were no big changes, but he did point out some rooms. Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis had all moved their rooms with each promotion. 

They were now in the ballroom and Rinoa was smiling broadly. "Shall we dance?" she asked as she turned. Squall looked around the room. 

"There's no music." he stated simply. 

Rinoa sighed and put her hands on her waist. "So?" she asked. She extended her hand. "C'mon, let's dance." 

"It's weird." he added as he reluctantly took her hand. Rinoa rolled her eyes and dragged him to the center of the ball room. 

"Even if you mess up, it won't make a difference. No one is watching us," she assured him. She took his hands and placed them on her waist and hand before looking up at him. "Um...you did turn off the cameras here, right?" 

He nodded. *I think so...* 

"Good!" she exclaimed happily. "This is perfect...we won't bump into anyone. All you have to make sure is that you don't run into me. Ready?" 

"Whatever." 

"Let's go!" Squall straightened up and followed Rinoa's movements to the best of his ability. "You've improved!" she said with a bright smile. He ignored her comment as he continued to dance. She began to hum the song out, in waltz tempo, as they whirled across the room. 

As she swung into his arms, Squall felt himself grow reluctant to let go as she pulled away. *The fireworks would've happened right about now...* he thought as she returned to her original position and began to lead him around the room once more. 

"What's wrong?" Rinoa said as they slowed down. Eventually, they stopped and Squall shook his head. 

"It's nothing..." 

"Are you tired?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head once more and looked into her eyes. 

"Are you...hungry?" he asked reluctantly. *Hungry!? That's the best you could come up with!? What happened to 'I love you, Rinoa' or 'I missed you so much'? Hyne, it's a wonder she's put up with you this long...* His mind screamed. 

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Uh...no..." she said in a slow voice. "Why, are you hungry?" 

Squall opened his mouth, but no coherent answer came out. She sighed and put her arms around his neck as she leaned against him. *Tell her something...* his mind yelled. *Tell her how much you care about her or how beautiful she looks!* Squall took a deep breath. "Do you feel like pizza?" 

Rinoa threw him a strange look and nodded. "Sure..." She pulled away from him and let out a whistle. "Angelo! Demona! Let's go get dinner!!" 

Squall ran his hand down his face. *What the hell was that?* He felt a warm hand grab a hold of his and he turned his head. Rinoa was smiling at him brightly as she tugged him towards the door. 

"You don't need to tell me," she said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You just have to be with me and I'll know how you feel." A slight smile reached his lips. 

* * *

"Should we call and tell them that we're coming?" Selphie said as she took out her cellular phone, which had a dozen hanging accessories on them. 

"Why bother them?" Quistis said. "If I can get us in without having to call them, let's do that. Besides, with the Garden locked down and the cafeteria close, they might be in town eating dinner or something." 

"Which reminds me," Zell said. "Maybe we should've gone to get something to eat first?" 

"Let's put away our things first," Shizuka said as she held a small duffel bag in one hand. They stood at one of the side entrances to the Garden and waited as Quistis dug through her purse to get out her key card. "Then we can all go get something to eat." 

"That's a good idea," Irvine agreed. "That way we don't have to carry all this stuff around." 

Quistis lifted up a card and slid it through the scanner. The group waited with anticipation as they waited. When the door slid open, they out a breath of air and stepped into the Garden. 

"You know, maybe we should call them," Selphie said. "Squall might set the rooms we're in on lock down if he doesn't know it's us." 

"You make a good point..." Quistis nodded. 

"Then call captain puberty already," Seifer said as he rolled his eyes. "Talking about it won't accomplish anything." 

"I'm dialing!" Selphie exclaimed. She held the silver phone to her ear. The group headed towards the elevator. 

"So...Quisty..." Seifer said casually. "Will your bed be enough for the two of us?" he gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes. 

"Seifer...who said you'd be sharing it with me." Quistis replied smugly. 

"Oh...point for Quisty." Irvine snickered. Seifer shot him a glare as Selphie flipped her phone closed. 

"Nothing," Selphie informed them. "His phone is off." 

"You think they might be in the Garden?" Zell asked. 

"We can check the security cameras," Quistis said. The doors of the elevator opened as they reached the floor where Selphie and Shizuka's rooms were. "Let's put our things away and then meet at the main level security room in fifteen minutes. We can send out a Garden wide page for them there." 

"Sounds good!" Selphie said. She gave them a little salute as she and Shizuka headed down the hall. "See you guys then!" 

* * *

The indoor pool had been renovated from when Rinoa last saw it. Now, it was huge and lined with silver and light blue tile at the bottom. Tropical potted plants lined the areas of the sunken lounges as the moonlight filtered through the glass panels of the high ceiling. 

Rinoa let out an impressed whistle. The lounge chairs were all stacked up neatly to the side as well as the tables and umbrellas. She was standing by the shallow end of the pool when she heard a quiet motor. She looked up and smiled widely as the glass panels opened to the sides, letting in the cool breeze from the outside. 

She turned around and saw Squall by the check in counter, fiddling with the controls. To the side, she heard bubbling and turned her head. The large kidney shaped hot tub had turned on. Then, to the other side of the pool, she saw a stone wall that started to spurt out water from it's top. She let out a gasp of surprise as the water fall went down over a small, shallow inlet across from her, by the deep end of the pool. 

As she looked over at it, the pool itself suddenly illuminated with water as Squall turned on the lights. She let out a squeal of joy. "What do you think?" a deep voice whispered in her ear as strong arms wrapped around her waist. 

"I think that this is going to be fun!" Rinoa giggled. He brushed aside her hair and kissed her neck before letting go. They stepped back from the edge and headed towards one of the lone tables on the pool side. 

Squall had his back to Rinoa as he began to untie the white terry cloth robe. He couldn't help but blush as he heard her behind him, also removing her robe. Suddenly, there was a thump and he looked towards the table. His eyes went wide. Rinoa's robe was laid across it. 

He heard someone running and turned around just as a splash of water sounded. *Damn, I missed it...* he thought to himself silently. 

He could make out Rinoa's dark head under the water as she swam back up. Her head broke the surface as she threw her head back, sending her thick dark hair behind her. She ran her hand down her face as she looked over at him. "What are you waiting for!?" she called energetically. "The water is PERFECT!!" 

Squall smiled slightly and turned back to removing his robe. Rinoa put her arms up on the side of the pool and watched with appreciation as he removed the robe. His back was to the pool as he neatly folded the robe and stacked it on top of hers. He turned around. "Rinoa!" he gasped as he suddenly felt his whole body grow red and his hands shot down. 

She was smirking deviously as she looked at him from the pool. "You don't need to cover yourself!" she assured him. "I've seen it all before!" 

He turned even redder as he took a deep breath. Squall removed his hands and began to walk towards the pool. It wasn't helping him that Rinoa was giving him cat calls. As he stood at the edge he took one last breath and then jumped into the welcoming clear water. 

* * *

Irvine whistled as he leaned against the door to the security room. "Hey!" he straightened up and waved at Selphie, Zell, and Shizuka, who were walking towards him. "Where are Quisty and Seifer?" 

"They're not with you?" Zell asked. 

Irvine rolled his eyes. "If they were, would I be asking?" 

Selphie giggled and lifted up her card. She swiped it on the door and it slid open. "We'll just wait for them in here." 

"Should I page them now?" Zell asked. 

"Nah...let's wait for Quisty and Seifer." Irvine said. 

"Hey...that's strange..." Selphie said. She leaned over the control panels and narrowed her eyes. "Some of the cameras have been disabled." 

"What?" Zell said. 

"Why?" Irvine asked. "You think someone could be breaking in?" 

"Who in the right mind would break into a mercenary school?" Zell sighed. Selphie sat down on the chair. 

"Maybe we should turn them back on?" Shizuka suggested. 

"Yeah, I'm working it," Selphie said. She began to play with the controls until one screen in the wall of screens above them turned on. "Oh! It's the pool!" 

"Hmm...the pool's sun roof is open..." Zell said. "Who'd break into the pool?" 

Irvine was leaning against the wall as a thought ran through his head. He smirked slightly. *Could they really be...? Nah...* 

"I'm turning on the other cameras there," Selphie said. Sudden her phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Hello?" 

"Selphie," Quistis' voice could be heard on the other line. She and Seifer were walking down a hall way, holding towels. "Seifer and I are going to for a quick dip in the pool. Can you send out a page to Squall telling him that we're here?" 

"Sure!" Selphie said. "What about dinner?" 

"We'll meet you guys in town. At the Galbadian cuisine place, okay?" Quistis asked. Selphie nodded. 

"All rightie! We'll see you then!" She hung up her phone. 

"What did she say?" Zell asked. 

"She and Seifer are going for a swim first. They'll meet us at the Galbadian cuisine place in town later." Selphie informed them. 

She reached over and flipped on a switch. One of the screens showed the illuminated pool and Shizuka narrowed her eyes. "Hey..." she said. "Isn't that...?" 

The other three leaned over and Selphie let out a gasp. Zell covered his mouth and Irvine's smirk grew wider. "Go Squall..." he murmured. 

"They're...they're not wearing clothes are they?" Shizuka asked with a deep blush. Selphie and Zell nodded. 

From what they could see, Squall was standing by the water fall, his back towards the camera and the rest of the pool. Two hands were roaming his back as they caught the sight of an occasional dark haired woman's head. 

"You guys!" Zell gasped. He pointed to another screen and the group looked up. It was the view of the entrance to the pool. Seifer was wearing dark swim trunks over a robe and Quistis was wearing her one piece swim suit under her thinner robe. They were both holding towels in their arms. 

Irvine couldn't help but smile in glee. "Selphie...is there any way we can get sound on these things?" 

* * *

**Next Time:**  
A naked couple is caught and Selphie gets her dog! 


	12. Naked Puppies

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twelve: Naked Puppies_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Uh be warned...detailed description of Squall and Rinoa in the pool. I think that says it all...I'm tempted to push this up a rating to R. And I've just settled for a dog named 'Irvy-poo'. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

Selphie flipped a switch and a little orange light blinked on under the screen they were watching. Irvine smirked as he leaned over Selphie to get a better look on the screen. 

Quistis and Seifer walked along the side of the pool, talking quietly to each other. Their voices were drowned out by the roaring sound of the water fall in a darkened area of the pool. 

"Seifer, we are not going skinny dipping," Quistis said as she rolled her eyes. "Selphie and the others could be watching us right now from the security cameras." 

Seifer snorted and shrugged. "So? They can all awe at my sexiness." 

The female blond rolled her eyes. "Or go blind...one or the other," she mumbled snidely. Seifer frowned as they reached one of the benches. "We can come back after dinner and go in the hot tub. How's that?" 

"Naked?" 

"No." 

"You spoil all my fun, Quisty..." Seifer shrugged. He turned his back to Quistis and the pool as he shrugged off his robe and began to do some stretches. 

The female blond stood to the side and watched him stretch his arms up in the air and stretch them out before setting her towel on the bench they were near. As she looked back up, she saw a table further down and squinted. There were some towels there and what looked like two robes. One was thrown across the table and the other was folded neatly. 

Quistis turned around and her eyes narrowed. She rubbed her eyes with one hand as she craned her neck forward. She saw two beige blurs against a silver and blue canvas of the pool tile. They were slightly behind the water fall, in the five feet shallow area below the water fall. 

Her eyes went wide when she realized what, or rather WHO, they were. She could make out Squall's head trailing kisses all over Rinoa's face as the dark haired female's hands ran up and down his taunt back. 

Immediately, Quistis turned to Seifer. "I changed my mind!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Let's go for a swim AFTER dinner!" 

"What?" Seifer asked, annoyed. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at her. "We're already here-" 

"I want to go later!" she insisted as she put her hands on his back and began to push him back towards the door. 

"Quistis, what has gotten into you?" he asked, confused. 

"How about this?" Quistis asked as she looked up at him with desperate eyes. "If you go swimming with me later tonight, we can go skinny dipping? We'll turn off the security cameras-" 

"No need to say any more," Seifer smirked broadly as he looked down at her with laughing green eyes. "Just let me get my robe-" 

"I'll get it!" she nearly shouted. "You head up towards the room!" 

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Quisty, I can get it myself..." He turned around and reached to grab his things. Quistis was tugging at his hand to get him to hurry up when his eyes rose and fixed themselves on the two beings in the pool. 

* * *

The taste of chlorinated pool water mingled with the salty favor of Rinoa's skin as his rough lips ran across her soft flesh. His hands, hardened by fighting, ran up the sides of her body, memorizing all her feminine curves. Through the roar of the water fall they had sought shelter beneath, he could hear her heavy breathing in his ear. 

Her eyes were closed as her soft finger tips slid down Squall's back. She could feel the drops of water that had gathered all over his smooth skin as her sensitive finger tips read his taunt back. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her palm as she let out a slight moan. 

Her fingers wove through his thick hair, the heavy scent of his shampoo flooding her senses as his head rubbed against hers. *It's so silky...* she thought to herself, almost euphorically as she kissed his forehead. 

She felt her back pressed against the cold, wet wall behind her. Rinoa was pinned against the rock that splurged water and another hard place. His hands fell to her waist and grasped her firmly. She let out a yelp as he pulled her up slightly so he could kiss her neck. 

"Rinoa..." he gasped out he gently nibbled on her neck. She bit her lip in pleasure as she pressed her body against his. 

Her legs wrapped around his waist as he began to whisper something about how much he loved her into her ear. *Damn the darkness!* her mind screamed. *I want to see him!* Her eyes opened and in vain, tried to make out the features of the man she loved. 

Of course, with Squall's head buried against her, she could only see his head. She felt his hand slid down past her waist and grab her, helping her stay up. Her eyes went wide and in response, she pressed her finger nails against his back. His head lifted slightly as he gasped. "You're really pushing it..." he rasped in her ear. 

She smirked back at him. "Good," she agreed. He returned to caressing her with his mouth when she looked over his shoulder. Past the curtain of water that was falling over them, she saw something. Two people...both blond... *Oh, Hyne!!* "Squall!" she gasped as her hands clamped down on his shoulders and her legs unlocked themselves from his waist. 

"Already?" he asked in an amused tone. "We haven't even started." 

"Squall!!!" Rinoa nearly shouted as her widened brown eyes locked on to that of Seifer and Quistis. Her hands slid between them and she shoved Squall away. 

He looked confused as he turned around slowly. 

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Seifer's horrified voice sounded through the speakers in the security room. 

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Irvine fell back against the wall, wiping the tears from his eyes with one hand as the other held on to his stomach. 

Zell was laughing as well, one hand gripping his stomach as Shizuka struggled in vain to stop laughing. Selphie was laughing hard and leaned back on the chair she was on. She leaned back so far, she fell backwards, but that did nothing to hinder her laughing. 

"Remind me to write a letter to Cid for splurging on the ultra sensitive security equipment!" Irvine shouted hysterically as he glanced up once more at the security screen. 

Seifer was pointing with one hand and covering his eyes with the other. They could hear his profane yelling as Rinoa cowered in humiliation behind Squall. The SeeD captain was completely red as Quistis tried to calm Seifer down. 

Selphie struggled to get up. She put one hand on the counter and pulled herself up. She grabbed the phone on the counter and pressed in a code. Still snickering, she pressed a green button. "This may not be the best time to inform you," she said, trying to sound serious as Zell, Irvine, and Shizuka continued laughing behind her. "But we're here." 

* * *

Rinoa sat up straight, her face still burning a shade of red that seemed unnatural, as she stabbed the salad in front of her and lifted the lettuce to her lips. Squall sat next to her, his cold blue eyes focused solely on the bread stick he was buttering. Across from them, Quistis tried her best to suppress the flushing in her face as she took a sip of wine. 

Next to her, Seifer looked over his salad and poked it reluctantly. Each beige colored crouton seemed to morph into a naked Squall and Rinoa making out in a water fall of Caesar dressing. Finally, he put his fork down and pushed the salad away, disgusted. 

"Seifer, eat your salad." Quistis stated simply as she ate hers. 

"I can't." he stated sternly. 

"Why?" Zell asked to their right. He and Shizuka were eating their salads without much problem. "Do you want ranch?" 

Seifer turned green at the thought and shook his head. "I don't feel like eating." 

Quistis let out a tired sigh and turned to glare at him. "For crying out loud, Seifer. Just get over it." 

"I can never eat again." 

"Stop complaining!" Rinoa snapped as she shot him a glare. "It's not like we were doing anything!" 

"Not like you were doing anything?" Seifer snorted. "You were all over him, you could be an octopus! And now thanks to you two, the entire pool needs to be drained, bleached, and re-filled with untainted water!" 

"So we contaminated it, then?" Rinoa asked sarcastically. 

"Yes!" Seifer retorted. "I can never go swimming again!" 

"You're being hypocritical don't you think?" Quistis said as she looked over at him. "You wanted to go skinny dipping, too." 

"And now thanks to them we CAN'T." Seifer stated simply. 

"Ugh!" Rinoa growled. "You make it seem like you and Quistis never did anything like that!" 

"We never did!" Seifer snapped. 

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "What about that time in my pool back in Deling City?" Across from her, Quistis dropped her fork and turned red. "I went outside for a midnight swim and whose in my hot tub? I'll give you TWO BLOND guesses!" 

"Wow, Quisty..." Selphie said in awe as she looked over at the blond sitting next to her. "I never knew you had it in you." 

"We were just talking!" she gasped. 

"Quisty, don't LIE to the people," Seifer told her proudly. "She was-" 

"No! Stop right there!" Rinoa cut him off. "I don't want to see it again!" she said, closing her eyes tightly and shaking her head. 

"Hey, Selphie, we should try-" Irvine began, but Squall slammed his utensils on the table. The entire table went silent as they turned to look at him. 

"We will never speak of this or anything LIKE this ever again," Squall stated in a deep, irritated voice. "We will burn the security tapes and if I so much hear a peep from Irvine about this, I will fire him. Does everyone understand?" 

Everyone shook their head except for Seifer. "You can't do anything to me-" he began, but Quistis elbowed him. "What is it, woman!?" 

"Seifer, she KNOWS about it..." Quistis hissed under her breath. 

"Of course she does!" Seifer snapped. "The whole table knows now!" 

Quistis shook her head. "NOT the hot tub, Seifer..." she replied in a low voice. 

He looked confused and turned to Rinoa. "You mean...?" The brunette nodded. *DAMN.* 

Silence settled on the table and Selphie looked around nervously. It was getting too quiet for her and finally she broke the silence. "I'm getting my puppy tomorrow!!" 

* * *

There was heavy knocking on Irvine's door and he grumbled as he lifted his head off the pillow and looked at his clock. *What the hell...? It's six...* 

"Irvy! Irvy wake up!" Selphie's cheerful, awake voice shouted from behind the sliding doors. 

Within seconds, she typed in the key and entered his room. "Selphie...it's six in the morning..." he said as he sat up tiredly. His hair fell all over the place as he looked at her. 

"I know!" she said. "We have to get ready to go!" 

"Go WHERE?" 

"The animal shelter!" Selphie said energetically. "Today, we're going to get my puppy!!" 

An hour and a half later, they were on the road to the local animal shelter in Irvine's car. He took a long shower, despite Selphie pacing his room telling him to hurry up, then they ate breakfast. Zell had been up already cooking everyone's breakfast in the kitchen. 

After two hot dogs and coffee, they left the Garden. "Why do we have to leave so early...?" he asked once more as they approached the town. 

"Because this way we can take our time picking out our new baby," Selphie said gleefully. "She's going to be our baby like Angelo and Demon are Squall and Rinoa's!" 

"Our BABY?" Irvine asked, unsure about the whole idea. While he and Selphie had dated and were officially 'together', the thought of marriage and children never really crossed his mind. He glanced over at the green eyed girl next to him. *Is she hinting at something? Does she want me to propose? Doe she want BABIES?* 

His heart began beating quickly in his chest. "Irvy! Slow down, you're going to pass it!" 

"Huh? Right!" he shouted nervously as he slammed on the breaks. The car skidded and Selphie let out a yelp as she was pushed forward and then back against her seat. 

"Irvine!?" Selphie gasped. 

"Sorry!" he gasped as he felt his face heat up. 

"Just be careful," she told him reassuringly. "Are you okay?" 

"Fine!" he gasped. He shook his head and focused on the road. It was a good thing that it was relatively empty in the morning. He saw the sign for the animal shelter and turned into it's parking lot. It had just opened. 

As soon as the car stopped, Selphie shot out of the passenger's seat and headed straight for the shelter door. Irvine sighed heavily as he locked the car behind them and followed her. *A baby...* his mind kept staying. There was only one thing he knew about babies...and that was how to make them. And as fun as that was, he wasn't sure he was ready for this step. 

He entered the shelter and saw Selphie talking to motherly looking woman at the front desk. "A dog," Selphie said. "It doesn't have to be a puppy or a girl or a boy specifically." 

"Well, all our animals here have been fixed," the woman told Selphie as she opened a small gate for them to enter through. "They've also been given their shots and had full check ups." 

"That's great! Umm...just in case, can you give me a number to a good vet?" Selphie said as she waved for Irvine to join them. 

"Of course, there are several in the area," the woman nodded. "Okay, the dogs are this way." She was about Selphie's height and plump with graying dark hair in a low pony tail. 

She opened a door and they heard barking. Irvine looked over at Selphie who looked like a child in a candy story. "Hmm..." Selphie said seriously. She looked over at Irvine. "What do you think?" 

Irvine walked along side of her as they went down the aisle of animals behind cages. "Whatever you want is fine." 

"He'll be yours, too," Selphie said as she knelt down in front of a cage to look at a dog. "Well...when I see them, I'll know..." 

Several hours passed and Selphie had spent time with many dogs that she thought had 'potential'. Then she walked past a cage and saw a small white and black dog walking back and forth, away from the other dogs in the cage. 

"He's a one and a half year old shitzu," the woman said when Selphie pointed the dog out. "He was dropped off here a month ago." 

"Do you know why?" Selphie asked. 

"It was kind of a loner," the woman said as Selphie knelt down in front of the cage and tried to call it over. "The old owner had several other male dogs and he just didn't get along with any of them." 

"What's his name?" Selphie asked. 

"He never got one," the woman replied. "The owner was a breeder and preferred not to name the dogs." 

"He never got one...?" Selphie said in a sad voice. She turned to Irvine who was looking over her. "Irvy..." she whimpered. 

He looked down at the dog, who had approached them cautiously. It had a sort of proud look on it's little face and he grinned. "Looks good to me, Selphie." 

Selphie beamed a smile and stuck her finger through the cage. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. "My name is Selphie and that's Irvine," she told the dog as he came over and sniffed her finger. He looked up at her and barked. "Do you want to come home with us?" 

A few minutes later, the little white and black creature was in Irvine's arms as Selphie sighed the documents to register her new baby. "And his name?" the woman asked. 

Selphie wrinkled her nose and looked over at the dog in Irvine's arms. He was still and seemed to look bored as Irvine held him. Irvine held the same bored look on his face and Selphie smiled. "I'll name him..." As if on cue, both the man and the dog seemed to yawn as their eyes wandered around the room. "Irvine..." 

Immediately, Irvine's eyes went wide and locked on to Selphie's as the black and white dog wagged his tail. "What?" 

* * *

"AWWW!!!" A series of adoring coos showered the male dog as he was petted and caressed by Rinoa, Quistis, and Shizuka. Selphie and Irvine had arrived and found them all sitting out in the quad. 

Rinoa and Shizuka had been trying to teach Demona to sit while Quistis threw a tennis ball for Angelo to fetch. In the back ground, Zell was watching Seifer and Squall spar with spare gunblades. 

Selphie had arrived with a tan leather leash and collar around her new dog, who walked up ahead of them proudly. Irvine held a large paper bag containing dog food, bowl, pooper scooper, little plastic baggies, and some doggy toys. 

"What's his name?" Rinoa asked as she scratched him behind the ears. 

Selphie giggled as she unleashed the dog and allowed him to run over to Angelo and Demona. "I named him after Irvine!" 

"Irvine?" Quistis asked, "WHY?" 

"That's what I said!" Irvine stated. 

"Well, he didn't have a name when we got him," Selphie said as she joined them on the picnic table and bench they were sitting on. She looked back at the dogs. "The lady said that his owner gave him to the shelter when he couldn't get a long with other dogs." 

"But he seems to be getting along with Angelo and Demona..." Shizuka pointed out. 

"The lady said MALE dogs..." Selphie giggled. 

"Oh...well, now it all makes sense." Rinoa smirked. Irvine begged to differ and the women laughed. 

"So what are we going to call him? Won't it get confusing?" Quistis asked as Selphie whistled. The dog turned around and ran towards her. 

"Yep, so I've decided to make him Irvy-poo and Irvine will stay Irvy." Selphie said with a bright smile as she picked up Irvy-poo. 

Several sets of eyes went to Irvine, who turned red at the thought. "It wasn't MY idea!" he retorted. 

"Maybe I should get a dog..." Shizuka said. 

"So you can name it after Zell?" Rinoa chuckled. The girls giggled and Irvine mumbled something about bringing the dog's things to the room. 

She blushed and Quistis sighed. "So, Selphie...does having Irvy-poo mean you're serious with Irvine?" 

Selphie nodded as she watched the cowboy pass by the other three men and stop to chat with Zell before continuing on. "Yeah," Selphie said. She frowned slightly. "I hope he feels the same way about me..." 

"I'm sure that he does," Rinoa assured her. "After all, you two have been together for a while." 

Selphie let Irvy-poo go play with the other two dogs and looked at her friends. "He says he loves me...but it's hard to believe since he's always flirting." 

"Yeah, but that's harmless flirting," Quistis stated. Rinoa and Shizuka nodded their heads in agreement. "Irvine's always going to be like that. Like Seifer's always going to act like an arrogant jerk." 

"And how Zell's always going to love hot dogs!" Shizuka added. 

"And how Squall always likes to be in control, even when we're having..." Rinoa trailed off. "Dinner." 

The other three women looked at her. "Dinner?" they chorused. 

"He always has to know what's being served and if he doesn't recognize it, he won't eat it," Rinoa stated. "That's why it's hard to try new things with him. There was this one...um...dish I wanted to try and he didn't want to try it. He claimed that people weren't meant to...uh...eat those things." 

"And these dishes..." Selphie said with much interest. "Where did you...um... get the recipe for it?" 

Quistis' eyes went wide. "Selphie!" she gasped in shock. 

"What!?" Selphie gasped. "I want to know if Irvy and I tried it already! What if we haven't and it's really good?" 

"Oh, it really is good!" Rinoa agreed. "Shizuka, I bet you've tried it with Zell." 

"Tried what?" the confused librarian asked. 

"It's a certain dish-" 

"Oh, Hyne, you three!" Quistis gasped. "We're grown women! We can say things out loud without being ashamed!" 

Rinoa tilted her head to the side. "Quistis, what are you talking about-" 

"We don't have to hide behind 'dinner' and 'dish'," Quistis stated, rather loudly. "Just say it! Sex and position!" 

Behind them, Seifer stumbled forward as he heard Quistis' voice. Squall had paused in mid strike, looking disturbed. Rinoa squinted. "Quistis...I'm talking about a dish that Ma Dincht once sent over. It's some sea food dish that Squall wouldn't eat because he didn't know what was in it." 

"Oh, that is really good!" Shizuka agreed. 

Quistis' face turned bright red as Rinoa grinned. "Hehehe...where's your mind going?" 

"Right where I want it to!" Seifer said as he grabbed Quistis around the waist. She yelped as he swung her over his shoulder. "Have a good night, ladies!" 

"Seifer! Seifer, let me down this instance! SEIFER!!" she shouted furiously. 

* * *

Next Time:  
They return to Trabia to film the music video. Any suggestions as to what song I should use? Should I even USE a song? Keep in mind that it has to go along with a video in the snow!! 


	13. Directed By Selphie

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Thirteen: Directed by Selphie_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Sorry it took so long! I've been very busy and my busy streak isn't over yet!! I decided to use Evanescence "Taking Over Me" for the song. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to portray it in the story. I choose it because I had visions of snow and ice while I was listening to it. Thank you for all your suggestions, though! I did listen to all of them. ^_^ 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply

* * *

"Dude, that's my seat." Zell said as he stood next to Seifer. They were standing in the isle between the seats in the middle of the train. Seifer had been putting his and Quistis' luggage in a compartment over head and was just about to sit down when Zell approached. 

"No, it's not, chicken wuss," Seifer snapped as he planted his butt on the chair. He looked up at the other blond with a smirk. "It's mine." 

"I called the window seat earlier!" Zell insisted. 

"I don't recall ever agreeing to it." Seifer replied smoothly. Quistis sighed as she walked next to them. 

"Seifer, just get up and let Zell have the seat," she said tiredly. Seifer shook his head. "Seifer, come on, you're holding up the line!" 

She motioned her hand behind her where Shizuka was waiting patiently with Selphie behind her, holding Irvy-poo and talking to him in baby talk. Irvine stood behind Selphie, holding two bags of luggage and a doggy carrier packed with Irvy-poo's things. Rinoa stood behind Irvine and was one her phone with someone while Squall waited behind her, carrying her things and holding on to two leashes leading to two dogs running around him. 

Irvine looked just about ready to dump their things anywhere and Squall looked annoyed that the line was being held up. "Fine, fine..." Seifer grumbled as he stood back up. He headed further down the train and took another seat, which was on the isle. 

Zell had a pleasant look on his face as he sat down by the window. Shizuka sat down next to him, holding a book in her hands. Quistis walked over to Seifer, who was frowning and sat down next to him. "Oh, come on..." Quistis sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's just the window seat." 

"I knew I should've paid extra for a private car..." Seifer grumbled. Quistis merely chuckled. 

"Irvy, let's go sit next to Rinoa and Squall so that Irvy-poo can play with Angelo and Demona!" Selphie insisted as she waited for Irvine to put their things away. 

"Is that okay with them?" Irvine said as he secured the doggy carrier. 

"It's fine with us," Rinoa said as she closed her phone and shoved it into her back pocket. She reached over and took the leashes from Squall's hands. "Right, Squall?" 

"Whatever." He mumbled as he put their things away. 

Rinoa merely smiled cheerfully and lead them to some seats further away from the others. They sat down in seats that were across from each other, giving the dogs enough room to walk around between them. Rinoa and Selphie sat on the isle, giving Squall and Irvine the window seats. 

"I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we get there." Irvine said as he leaned back against the chair and tilted his hat down over his face. 

"Okay!" Selphie replied. 

"Why don't you take a nap, too, Squall?" Rinoa suggested. He nodded and leaned back against his seat. The train started up and Rinoa and Selphie played with the dogs. 

Rinoa had Demona on her lap and was gently stroking her fur as she watched Angelo seem to bark orders at Irvy-poo. Down the isle, Quistis had taken up reading a bridal magazine she had purchased at the train station. 

Seifer glanced down and his eyes went wide. Nervously he made numerous mental connections. *A...BRIDAL magazine?* His mind screamed. He knew what this was. His green eyes focused on Quistis' profile as she sat next to him, reading the magazine. It was some sort of subtle hint on Quistis' part to get him to propose to her. 

Propose. Hyne, Quistis wanted him to propose to her! Seifer suddenly began to choke and Quistis looked over at him. She put the magazine down and lifted her hand to pat his back. "Seifer, are you all right?" she asked intently as he leaned his body forward. 

"Fine!" he gasped out as he straightened himself. He looked over at her weakly. "Uh...what are you reading?" 

"Hmm?" Quistis looked back at the thick white magazine on her lap. "Gaia Bride Magazine," she said. "I'm looking at dresses." 

*Hyne, she really wants me to propose!* Seifer's mind screamed. "R...really..." he mumbled. 

She gave him a questioning look. "Seifer, are you sure you're all right?" 

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine!" he insisted. "Really!" She didn't believe him, but nodded anyway. She leaned back on her seat and flipped through the pages. He leaned back in his chair, deciding to take a nap and get his mind of things. 

*She's never been the most direct woman...* he thought to himself. Just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang. He grumbled and reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a phone and opened it. "Almasy here. What is it?" 

Rinoa was starting to drift off to sleep when she heard Seifer shout. "What the...?" she mumbled as she sat up straight and blinked. 

She looked down the isle. Luckily, it was a slow day and they had the car all to themselves. Seifer was standing up off his chair, his phone to his ear as he yelled. "What the hell do you mean he can't make it!?" he growled. 

"What's going on now...?" Irvine mumbled as he lifted his had slightly and looked around tiredly. 

"It's just Seifer," Selphie replied. "He's yelling again." 

"Oh..." 

Rinoa tilted her head to the side, wondering what was getting her manager all riled up. "When will he be available then!? No, that's too late! The cameras and the crew will be there in two days! WHAT!? Tell him that if he doesn't come through, he'll never have a chance to direct Angel's video again!" Seifer was fuming. "Then fine! He's FIRED!!!" 

He closed his phone and nearly threw it at the wall as he stood there. Quistis stood up and put her hands on his arms, trying to calm him down. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. 

He nodded and took a deep breath. He lowered his head against Quistis' and sighed. "Better tell her the bad news..." 

Quistis looked concerned as he pulled away and walked down the isle. Rinoa met his gaze with a questioning on of her own. "What's going on?" she asked. 

"The director for your video backed out at the last minute," he told her, obviously still angered by the news. "The bastard left us high and dry." 

"What about a replacement?" Selphie suggested. 

Rinoa shook her head and replied before Seifer could go off on her. "It's too late to get one. Besides, everyone was set up for this video to be shot in Trabia. Even if we did get another director, they might not want to shoot the video there." 

"What the hell are we going to do!?" Seifer grumbled. "Damn! It took me months to book everything! Everything is all ready for a video in Trabia, now we have to cancel everything AND pay everyone!" 

Rinoa closed her eyes and ran her hand down her face. "Oh my Hyne...the budget was tight enough as it is..." she mumbled. "At this rate, I'll have to pay for my video out of my own pocket." 

"Why do you still have to pay everyone?" Selphie asked. 

"Contracts," Rinoa replied. "What are we going to do?" 

"I'm going to call Raijin and Fujin and tell them to start canceling the equipment rentals." Seifer mumbled. 

"Wait a second!" Selphie said. "I'll direct it!" 

Rinoa smiled warmly as Seifer looked at Selphie as if she were crazy. "That's really sweet of you, Selphie, but-" 

"No, really!" Selphie insisted. "I can do it! I directed and shot the last Welcome to Balamb Garden instructional video!" 

Seifer looked disgusted. "I saw that! It was crap!" 

"It was not!" Selphie pouted. She saw Quistis walk up behind Seifer. "Quistis, tell him that I'm a good director!" 

"You did do a decent job of the instructional video..." Quistis said. 

"We can't let some amateur director direct a professional music video!" Seifer gasped. "That's crazy!" 

"Do you really think you can do it?" Rinoa asked earnestly. 

Seifer looked practically deflated when he heard her ask the green eyed brunette that. "Rinoa, are you crazy!?" he shouted. "She could ruin your career with a bad video!" 

"We don't have a choice!" Rinoa retorted stubbornly. "We might as well give her a try! Everything is paid for already away!" 

"And I'll work for free!" Selphie said. "I just want the credits!" 

Seifer shook his head, but Rinoa stepped in and nodded. "I'll give you a chance, Selphie." 

"Yes!" 

"No!" Seifer shouted, as if stabbed. 

Rinoa dug through her purse and took out a thin, mini-CD. "This is the single. It hasn't been released yet and it's supposed to be released next week. Do you really want to give it a try?" 

Selphie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" she said. Seifer's voice was in the background as Quistis dragged him away. He was shouting about how it was a bad idea and even threatened to quit. 

Rinoa handed Selphie the CD. "We start filming the day after tomorrow," Rinoa told her. "We have the equipment for two days. If you need anything tell me!" 

Selphie nodded and looked at the small CD. "You won't regret it, Rinoa!" 

* * *

"Where's Selphie?" Laguna asked as they were seated at the dinner table. Everyone was there except for the bubbly brunette. 

"She's determined to finish planning Rinoa's music video by tomorrow," Irvine said as he took his seat. "But she asked me to bring her back something to eat." 

"Do you think it's a good idea, ya know?" Raijin asked. He and Fujin had both been reluctant to accept that Selphie was directing Rinoa's music video. 

"We have to give her a chance," Rinoa insisted. "Besides, Selphie says she's done it before." 

"The only thing she's ever directed was that damn 'Welcome to Balamb Garden' instructional video." Seifer spat out as he lifted the menu up. 

"Everyone has to start somewhere." Rinoa replied. 

"I should just quit right now," Seifer sighed. "I mean, your career is going to go down the drain. Hell, it already started the moment you agreed to let her direct your video." 

"Will you stop complaining?" Rinoa sighed. She shot him a glare. "I trust Selphie. She won't let me down." 

"Rinoa..." Squall said quietly. "Have you SEEN Selphie's directorial debut video?" 

Rinoa lifted her head from the menu and shook her head. "No...why?" 

The SeeDs at the table all exchanged worried glances and Rinoa frowned. "Maybe it's for the best!" Zell said weakly. 

"It was her first try directing," Shizuka added. "I'm sure the second time will be better!" 

Zell, Irvine, and Quistis all nodded and Rinoa looked at Squall. "Squall, what did you think of it?" 

"We were on a tight budget and-" 

"I'm not asking you how much it cost!" Rinoa snapped. "WHAT did you THINK of it!?" 

Squall swallowed hard and looked over at her. "It was long and boring and at one point, she was running and that made whoever watched it sick." 

Rinoa drained of all color. "No.." she said sternly as she shook her head. "I trust Selphie. Everything will work out." 

Seifer snorted. "Sure...you keep telling yourself that." 

* * *

Irvine opened his eyes and looked towards the desk. Selphie was hunched over, writing madly on some paper as she sat there. He turned his head over to her spot on the bed and found that it hadn't been slept in. The only other thing on the bed with him was Irvy-poo. He frowned at sat up. 

"Selphie, have you been up all night?" he asked, giving her a disapproving tone. He looked at the digital clock. It was just a few minutes before six. 

"I'm done, Irvy!" Selphie said in an almost out of body voice. She turned to him sharply, a predatory look on her face as she lifted up a stack of papers. "I listened to Rinoa's song all night and I FINALLY got it done! It's PERFECT!" 

Irvine looked concerned as he threw the blanket off of him. Irvy-poo let out a yelp as it went over him. Irvine threw his legs over the bed and stood up, shivering as the cold of the room reached the bare skin of his upper body. "Selphie, darlin', tell me you haven't been up all night doing this." 

She shook her head. He let out a sigh of relief. "I went to the bathroom a few times and ate the dinner you gave me." 

"Oh, Hyne..." Irvine sighed. He knelt down in front of her, looking at her eye to eye. "Selphie, you need to get some sleep-" 

"Get dressed, Irvy!" Selphie said as she stood up off the chair. "I'm going to get ready! The camera crew will be here soon!" 

"Selphie, what about sleep-" 

"And order me some more coffee!" 

Irvine sighed tiredly. The last time she had done that was the time she 'perfected' her idea of an instructional video. He fell back on the bed just as he heard the shower go on. He silently hoped that Rinoa knew what she was in for. 

* * *

Squall looked down at the sleeping woman curled into a ball next to him. "Must...trust... Selphie..." she whispered in between breathes. Her eye brows furrowed as she buried her head against him. 

He sighed. She seemed somewhat disturbed after what she had heard about Selphie's directorial skills. And while he figured that she had every right to be, he admired her for sticking with Selphie. She had insisted that Selphie would do a good job with her music video. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. 

The phone rang and he looked over his shoulder. He reached over and removed the phone from it's handle. "Hello?" he asked. 

"Squall, it's Irvine," a tired sounding cowboy said. "Selphie just finished her plans for the video and wants Rinoa downstairs, ready to start, by seven thirty." 

Squall looked at the clock and frowned. "It's almost seven." 

"Don't argue with the messenger," Irvine sighed. "I just spent twenty minutes on the phone with Seifer while he yelled at me." 

"I'll tell her, then." Squall said. 

"Oh, and Squall," Irvine said. "You have to be there, too." 

* * *

The sun was rising and Selphie took a deep breath. She exhaled, letting her breath crystallize in front of her as she stood in front of the lodge. Behind her, tired looking SeeDs, a singer, and her assistants were standing. 

"Look at that!" Selphie said proudly. "Today is PERFECT!" Everyone looked nervous as she turned around, eyeing them with predatory looks. "Let's get started shall we!? I want to get everything filmed today!" 

"Today?" Rinoa asked, confused. "But Selphie, we have the equipment for two days-" 

"Today!" Selphie said. "I'm going to edit it this weekend and I need to get started on it as soon as possible!" 

"We're doomed..." Seifer whispered. 

Rinoa shot him a glare and took a step forward. "Okay, Selphie! I'm all yours!" 

"Great! Rinoa, Squall!" she pointed to the trailer just outside the lodge. "Get into wardrobe!" 

* * *

"You want me to do WHAT?" Squall asked, looking at the short brunette in confusion. 

Everyone was bundled up as Selphie sat in a director's chair. They were by the edge of the forest and Selphie was looking through a camera. She sighed and looked back at Squall. "Run through the forest, pretend you're looking for something." 

"For how long?" Squall asked. 

"Until I say, cut!" Selphie said. "If you do it right the first time, we won't have to do it again." 

Squall sighed and trudged over into the forest. The bare trees revealed him easily and Selphie began to give the directions. Rinoa stood behind her, dressed in a warm cloak over her costume. Selphie said she wanted the outdoor scenes filmed first before they move inside. 

She was having the indoor scenes prepared by Raijin and Fujin. She had sketched out her plans and since Raijin and Fujin had been the first to arrive that morning, she had told them were she wanted everything done. 

Now, they were starting to film Squall's scene. The camera was raised into the sky and Selphie yelled for them to start. Squall began to run through the forest. The only thing on his mind was to get it over with in one shot. 

"Stop and look around!!" Selphie shouted. 

He did as he was told and stopped. He looked around the area, fully aware of the camera circling him like a hawk. *I can't believe I agreed to this...wait...I never even agreed to this...* 

Rinoa was looking at one of the screens with the others. "Squall looks really good on camera..." she blushed as she watched Squall's expression on film. 

"There was a rise of incoming female cadets after Selphie made her video," Quistis said. "There was one part where she introduced Squall." 

"Are you saying that Captain Puberty over there is attractive?" Seifer asked as he stood next to her, looking disturbed. 

"I never said he wasn't." Quistis smirked. Seifer suddenly looked betrayed and Rinoa snickered. 

"Cut! You're doing great, Squall!" Selphie shouted. He let out a heavy sigh. "That was perfect!" 

*At least it's over...* he thought to himself as he began to trudge back to where the crew was standing. 

"But we kind of need you to redo it!" 

"What?" Squall asked, his eyes narrowed. Selphie smiled sheepishly. 

Rinoa giggled. *Poor Squall...he doesn't realize what he got himself into...* 

* * *

"What's with the set up, Selphie?" Zell said as they walked into one of the banquet halls in the hotel. 

To the front of the hall was an arch framed with white flowers. A white carpet led from the door to the arch and on either side of it were several rows of white, fold out chairs. Flowers in white baskets lined the isle as soft pink rose petals decorated the white carpet. 

"Where are Seifer and Quistis?" Selphie asked Fujin, who had been standing by and waiting for the group. 

"Costume." Fujin stated. 

"How long have they been in there?" Selphie asked. She checked her watch. She had sent them ahead to get dressed for their cameo appearance in the music video. 

"Seifer! Seifer, let me fix your tie!" a voice called to their right. They turned to the side and saw Seifer striding out dressed in a black tuxedo. His bow tie was on crooked. 

"It's fine!" he insisted. Behind him, Quistis walked out dressed in a dark pink, strapless bride's made dress. She was clutching a bouquet of pink flowers in one hand as she ran after him. Her bangs framed her face in curls as her hair had been put into an up do. 

"Seifer!" Quistis frowned as she went after him. She ran in front of him and raised her hand to fix his bow tie. "I don't care if this ISN'T a real wedding! The whole world is going to see this and I don't want them to think that you're a careless slacker." 

Seifer grumbled as he stood still and allowed Quistis to fix his tie. "Aww..." Shizuka said. "Quistis and Seifer look so cute!" 

Seifer shot her an annoyed glare. Cute was not exactly what he liked to be described as. Quistis stepped back to survey her work and smiled. "So were are the other two?" Irvine said as he looked around. They had just finished filming a series of shots at one of the lounges. 

Irvine, Selphie, and Zell all made appearances as members of Rinoa's band. Zell pounded on the drums as Irvine and Selphie played the guitars, or at least pretended to. To Selphie, it was the hardest to direct as she was in the actual footage. As soon as they finished, Selphie ushered Rinoa into the hall where they were at now. Rinoa had since then vanished into wardrobe. 

"She should be ready any moment." a deep voice said. They turned around and saw Squall walking towards them. 

Everyone seemed to turn to look at the striking young man walking into the hall while he tugged on white gloves. He looked up with icy blue eyes, giving them a questioning look. Irvine let out a whistle. "You do know this isn't a REAL wedding, right?" 

"Whatever..." Squall mumbled as he walked past Irvine. 

Selphie smiled brightly as she realized that many women, and some men, in the room who were extras and crew members were staring at Squall. Not that she could blame them. He was wearing all white, his hair neatly combed with only a few stray locks falling over his eyes. The white tuxedo he wore had tails as he headed towards the 'altar'. 

"Okay, will all the extras please be seated!" Selphie shouted. "Zell, Shizuka, Irvine, get in your seats!" she ushered. 

"Oh, right..." the three of them chorused. They scrambled for the front seats as the door flew open once more. 

"Here comes the bride!!" Laguna shouted in a loud voice. From the altar, Squall ran his hand down his face and shook his head. 

Laguna was holding the door open while Kiros, who was dressed in white and black, posing as the priest, walked into the room. Fujin and Raijin put Seifer and Quistis in their places before going to sit down as some of the extras. 

Squall looked up when he heard the sound of heels. He lifted his eyes felt his breath leave him for a moment as he laid eyes on Rinoa. She was dressed as a bride, wearing the long gown. It was strapless and long white gloves went up her arms. The veil over her head fell down her back. Through the gauzy material, Squall could make out her features. 

He swallowed as she walked forward, the train of her dress flowing behind her. "Fujin, fix her train! Get the cameras ready!" Selphie said as Rinoa reached the altar. 

Squall stared at her dumbfoundedly. She seemed to smile behind the veil. "You look so handsome," she said brightly. She resisted to add 'Hyne, you're sexy in a tuxedo!' 

He merely nodded, barely paying attention to Selphie's directions. Rinoa was nodding and agreed with Selphie before the shorter brunette stepped down. "Okay! Action!" 

The music played in the back ground and Squall felt his body moving almost automatically as he reached for her hand. He lifted up his ring, which had been decided to be used as a prop. He slipped it on to Rinoa's ring finger. 

"Lift up her veil!" Selphie shouted. 

He slowly raised his hands and lifted up the material covering her face. As he pulled it over her head, he caught the blush on her face and smiled slightly. "Kiss her!" several people shouted. 

Rinoa was struggling not to laugh at their cheering comments. Especially Irvine's whistling. Squall lowered his head and she closed her eyes. As his lips touched hers, Rinoa felt the entire world vanish. As if it were just them. *I wish...* she thought to herself as his hands gently placed on her shoulders to keep her steady. *I wish this was real...* 

"CUT!!!" 

* * *

Next Time:  
More being the scenes of the video and then the video itself. It's the song fic to the song stated above. Or an attempt to make one by me. Yes, I know as of right now it doesn't make any sense...Remember, this is the story without a plot! 


	14. Taking Over Me MV Can Be Skipped

. 

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Fourteen: Taking Over Me MV_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Here are the instructions to this. The song is "Taking Over Me" by Evanescence. I will have the lyrics in _italics_ and the actions in normal text. Keep in mind that each lyric or set of lyrics will have a particular scene. Song fics are hard...I don't think I'll make any more. @.@ Feel free to skip it and move on with the story. -_-;; It's going to be a short chapter. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's Characters or the song "Taking Over Me".

* * *

Rinoa looked down at the pool and then back at the gorgeous wedding dress she was wearing. It was breaking her heart just thinking about what she was about to do in it. 

"Rinoa!" Selphie shouted. "Are you ready!?" 

Hesitantly, the young woman turned to her friends with a forlorn look on her face. "Are you SURE I have to do this!?" she called out. 

Selphie was standing directly in front of her and was looking into a camera. There were three cameras situated around Rinoa. One in front of her, one above her, and one to her left. There was also one very expensive underwater camera being used by a camera man in the water. 

"Rinoa..." Selphie said. "Trust me!" 

Seifer snorted and crossed his arms as he turned his head away. *I can see the headlines now...'Singing sensation Angel drowns in the making of music video'.* 

As if reading his thoughts, Quistis elbowed him and frowned. Seifer looked at her as if he hadn't been thinking negatively. She rolled her eyes. "Just get into position!" Selphie shouted. 

Rinoa sighed and stood at the edge of the pool with her back towards the deep end. Fujin fixed her dress around her and handed her the prop she was supposed to be holding. Rinoa closed her eyes under the veil and took a deep breath. *Just relax...* she thought to herself. *Just take a deep breath and...* 

"ACTION!!" Selphie shouted. 

Rinoa heard the music start and leaned backwards. She felt her heart race as she braced herself for the water. A splash was her and water surrounded her from all sides. It took all her strength not to struggle and reach up to break the surface for another breath. she allowed her body to sink slowly into the clear depths of the pool. 

She opened her eyes and waited for the signal to start swimming upwards. She saw a red light blink over head and began to try to swim upwards. As she expected, the wedding dress she had been wearing earlier was weighing her down and dragging her into the water. 

She reached her arm up, trying to get reach for the surface. Suddenly hands grabbed her elbows and a mouth piece was pressed against her mouth. She opened her mouth slightly and allowed the divers that were instructors at the resort to place the breathing instrument into her mouth. 

She took a deep breath, hoping to cool her burning lungs as the divers, one on either side of her brought her back up to the surface. As she broke the surface, she was pulled to the edge where Fujin was waiting with a towel. Rinoa dropped her mouth piece as she was lifted from the water by Raijin and Zell. 

"You okay?" Zell asked. Rinoa nodded. 

She heard clapping all around her and smiled and waved at the crowds that had gathered to see her music video being made. It wasn't announced officially, but people who had come to swim were told that a video was being made. As a result, people stayed to watch part of it. 

"Selphie!" Rinoa gasped as Fujin wrapped a large towel around her. "That take better have been perfect! I'm not doing it again!" 

Selphie was looking over the film and nodded with satisfaction. "It's perfect!" Selphie said with a wide smile. "Wrap up it everyone! That's a wrap!" 

* * *

Squall was taking a shower when he heard the door open and close. Angelo and Demona ran from the bedroom to the main room. 

"SQUALL!!" Rinoa cried out tiredly. She bent down and petted the two dogs that had come to greet her. 

"WHAT!?" he shouted back. Rinoa walked into the bedroom and into the bathroom where Squall was busy taking his shower. His hair was filled with lather from his shampoo. She stood by the door way, her back to the shower. 

"We're FINALLY done!" she sighed. 

"What time is it?" Squall asked. 

"Eleven twenty eight!" Rinoa shouted tiredly. She walked towards their bed and began to remove her usual clothes. She had shed her thick snow jacket on the couch outside and tossed her shoes aside. 

Squall finished rinsing off his hair and body underneath the steamy hot water. He reached over and turned the knobs to shut off the water. He reached for the robe was hanging by the shower and put it on as he stepped out. He walked into the bedroom and found Rinoa sprawled out on the bed, her face buried in the pillow. He grinned. 

"Tired?" he asked as he sat down next to her and caressed her head. 

She nodded and turned her head to the side. "All Selphie made you do was run through the forest and sit behind a desk." 

"I also stood with you in the wedding scene." he reminded her. She nodded. 

"You looked so hot in a tux," she grinned. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Hmmm...you kiss pretty well, too." 

"Thank you," he said. "You looked beautiful in the wedding dress. But I liked it better when you were rolling around that bed in sheets." he told her with a smile. 

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "I WAS wearing clothes underneath." 

"Yes, but it was a nice scene," he told her. "Did you have fun at the pool?" 

"Oh, Hyne..." Rinoa sighed and buried her face in the pillow once more. "I don't know WHERE she even GOT that idea! And I can't believe I RUINED that dress!" 

"At least she didn't make you go into the actual lake," Squall reminded her. "She's using CG, isn't she?" 

"I didn't know Selphie knew how." 

Squall smiled weakly. *Actually...I don't think she does...* "I'm sure your video will end up great." 

"I had fun, though," Rinoa said. "Especially when we were in the club singing." 

"Did she say when we'll be able to see it?" Squall asked. 

"I don't know...but probably soon. Locked herself into the editing room and said she wouldn't come out until she was finished," Rinoa looked at Squall. "Should I be worried?" 

"No, of course not..." Squall said with a weak smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine." 

Rinoa smiled and nodded. "Well, if you say it's fine, I'm sure it will be." She kissed him before she got up. 

Squall waited until she entered the bathroom before he let out a sigh. *Hyne, I hope it will be.* 

* * *

The phone rang and Squall reached for it in the dark. "What is it?" he asked in an annoyed deep voice. He had been awoken once again by the phone and was seriously thinking about unplugging it. 

"It's Selphie!" 

*Oh, Hyne...* Squall thought to himself as he ran his hand down his face. Next to him, Rinoa shifted under the thick blankets. 

"I'm done!" That was it. The phone went dead and Squall frowned as he looked over at the clock. It was five in the morning. They hadn't seen Selphie for thirty hours. 

Irvine had, but that's just because Selphie would make him bring her food while she was in the room editing the video. He occasionally reported back to them, looking slightly worried. 

"Was that Selphie?" Rinoa asked in a tired voice. 

Squall nodded. "Yes..." The young woman next to him began to move. "Rinoa, it's still early-" 

"Is she done?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded as she sat up. "I'm going to go see her." 

"Rinoa-" 

Before she could say another word, there was a knock at their door. Squall swore and looked towards the door. He stood up, ignoring the cold all around him as he headed for the main room. Rinoa put on her light blue robe and smoothed her hair back. 

He was barefoot against the carpet as he reached out for the door. Rinoa turned on the lights behind him, as he had neglected to on his way out. He tore the door open, ready to yell at whoever was behind him when a black tape was held out in front of him. 

Selphie was standing there, surrounded by everyone else. She had woken them all up. Rinoa squinted as she walked out into the room. Selphie gave her a bright smile and Squall wondered how it was possible for her to be so damn perky that early in the morning. 

"It's ready." 

"Selphie, are you serious?" Rinoa asked. "It takes days to make a music video!" 

"I couldn't help it!" Selphie said with a bright smile. "I was just so excited, I couldn't help but work on it!" 

"Well, don't just stand there!" Rinoa said as she pulled Squall out of the way. "Come on in! Can we watch it right now?" 

"Yeah, so we can get back to bed?" Seifer grumbled. 

Selphie handed Squall the tape as she walked in. Irvine followed behind her, holding Irvy-poo. A yawning Zell walked in along with Shizuka, dressed in a pink night gown under her hotel issued robe. Behind them, Seifer and Quistis walked in. Seifer had his arm around Quistis as she yawned and leaned tiredly against him. 

Raijin and Fujin also entered, partly looking worried. And lastly was Laguna, who seemed perfectly awake. 

"Where's Ellone and the others?" Rinoa asked, not used to seeing him without them. 

"She said she'd watch it later," Laguna informed her. "And Kiros and Ward wouldn't answer their phones." 

Squall mumbled something about how they were the smart ones as he closed the door behind the group. Everyone piled into the sunken den and faced the big screen television. 

"Squall, put the tape in." Rinoa said. 

He nodded and headed for the VCR. He shoved it in as Rinoa turned on the television with the remote. In a few moments, the screen came to live and they saw a lot of static. 

Everyone paused and looked over at Selphie. The screen was stuttering and there were miscellaneous images of them group flashing on the screen and all they could hear was a low drone in the background. At times there were just periods of black screen. 

"You've got to be kidding me." Seifer stated blandly as he stared at the television. 

Selphie sighed. "REWIND the tape!" she told them. 

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Rinoa pressed the rewind button on the remote. "You had us going for a second..." Rinoa chuckled nervously. "I thought that it was the video for a moment." 

"Oh, please," Selphie said. "That was just the FIRST draft!" 

Rinoa nearly dropped the remote. Everyone paused in their seats, unsure of how to take Selphie's explanation. The VCR stopped and with a shaking hand, Rinoa pressed 'play'. She silently prayed as they were faced with a black screen. 

* * *

The first 10 seconds of the music video was to be a piano solo. The black screen faded into a pure white field of snow. Next to the field was a lake that was frozen over. Snow was falling slowly to the ground. The scene faded into a close up of Rinoa's dark lashes against her pale face. Slowly her eyes opened. 

As soon as her eyes opened, the sounds of guitar and drums flooded the room as the club scene popped on the screen. Irvine, Selphie, and Zell were playing guitars and drums in an all white room. They were all dressed in white versions of their clothes as their instruments were black. Then the scene began to flash and mix with the scenes of frozen lake. 

At the last beat of the beginning instrumental, a pale hand shot out from the frozen lake. 

_You don't remember me, but I remember you  
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you_

In a close up of Rinoa, she is laying on her back on the bed, holding a snow globe in her hands. The camera pans away from Rinoa as she rolls over on an all white bed covered in white sheets as she sings to the snow globe. 

_But who can decide what they dream, and dream I do_

As she holds the snow globe in her hands, the camera focuses into the snow globe and suddenly, they saw Squall is standing in the middle of the forest and looking around, confused as snow falls all over him, as if he were trapped in the snow globe. 

_I believe in you_

Rinoa stood with the band, singing into a microphone and as the camera pans out, they could see the snow falling in the windows on either side of the stage. 

_I'll give up everything just to find you_

Squall is running through the snow, looking around through the bare trees. 

_I have to be with you_

Rinoa sings to the camera as she is with the band. 

_To live, to breathe_

Back to Squall, whose breathing head.

_ You're taking over me_

The screen shows a girl in the forest dressed all in white standing at the edge of the lake. As she falls forward, into the lake, and the scene flashes between her and the band.

_ Have you forgotten all I know, and all we had_

Back to the band, where Rinoa's still singing to the camera as it shoots out one of the windows to a wedding where Rinoa and Squall seem to be getting married. Seifer and Quistis were in the back ground as the best man and maid of honor.

_ You saw me mourning my love for you, and touched my hand_

Squall lifted up her veil and she smiled. He takes her hand and puts on a ring.

_ I knew you loved me then_

Scene of Squall and Rinoa kissing flashes and alternates with the band, finally ending on the band.

_ I believe in you_

Rinoa continued to still singing as the camera pans into another window.

_ I'll give up everything just to find you_

Squall was at a desk writing on something as Rinoa walks in. She's smiling and talking but he asks her to leave.

_ I have to be with you_

Rinoa smiles slightly and leaves, embarrassed.

_ To live, to breathe_

She leaned against the door and takes a deep breath before she runs off.

_ You're taking over me_

Rinoa is seen packing and then leaves a bedroom.

_ I look in the mirror and see your face_

Rinoa, this time in the white bedroom again, covered in white sheets as she looks in the mirror and instead of her reflection, it's Squall running through the forest.

_ If I look deep enough_

Rinoa lifted up her hand and touched the mirror as she sang.

_ So many things inside that are_

The mirror shimmered at her touch as it goes back to Squall, who looks up at the sky.

_ Just like you are taking over_

He stops where he is and looks up at the sky and as the camera pans away, it turns out he's in the snow globe; Rinoa is singing to it.

_ I believe in you_

A new scene is shown and a woman's body dressed in white is sinking to the bottom of a lake.

_ I'll give up everything just to find you_

Her hand is clutching something and as she falls, she let's part of it go. It's his ring on a chain.

_ I have to be with you_

Back at his desk, Squall looks up, suddenly concerned, and gets off his chair.

_To live, to breathe_

He jumped up and ran to their room, noticing that Rinoa's things are gone. He turned and ran out the door.

_ You're taking over me_

Rinoa and the band flash in between Squall running out of the building.

_ I believe in you_

Squall was shown once again trudging through the snow in the middle of the snow covered forest, looking for something. 

_(I believe in you)_

Rinoa sang as the band played behind her in a quick flash back to them.

_ I'll give up everything just to find you_

Squall is still running and the scene pans out to see Rinoa with the snow globe in her hands.

_I have to be with you_

Squall runs out into the middle of a lake and looks around.

_To live, to breathe_

The scene has Rinoa's face as a water mark and as Rinoa's eyes close and Squall yells out her name.

_ You're taking over me (taking over me)_

The woman's body hits the bottom of the lake and it is revealed that she was wearing a wedding dress. She opens her eyes and sees Squall above her on the ice.

_ You're taking over me (taking over me)_

The woman, Rinoa, struggles to swim up, but the water is too cold and deep and she reaches out to him.

_ You're taking over me (taking over me)_

He looks down and sees her frozen in ice with only her hand reaching out for him. The camera pans out and you see Rinoa holding the snow globe. She drops it and it falls to pieces at her feet. The scene goes black.

* * *

Rinoa stared blankly at the screen. Slowly she turned to Selphie, who seemed to be at the edge of her seat. Nervously, Selphie looked around at the group, all of whom were staring at the screen in shock. "Well?" Selphie asked, her voice high and tight. "How was it?" 

Selphie turned her gaze over at Rinoa who was staring at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that no words were coming out. "I...how..." Rinoa stammered. 

Squall looked over at Selphie in shock. "Why does the Garden video..." he began. 

"Suck?" Zell exclaimed. 

"Hey..." Selphie piped. 

"Selphie, that was great," Quistis said as she smiled and turned to the young woman. "Where did you get the idea?" 

Selphie beamed a proud smile. "Let's just say that I was inspired," she said. She looked back at Rinoa. "Well? What do you think?" 

Rinoa continued to stare at her in disbelief. "That's the best video I've ever done," Rinoa gasped. "And everything was filmed in ONE day and edited in two...how did you do it!? I've worked with some of the best MV directors out there and they've never been able to do that!" 

"Well, I was doing it for a friend," Selphie said honestly. "I wanted to do the best job I could possibly do." 

Rinoa reached over and hugged Selphie tightly. "Thank you, Selphie! You're a life saver!!" Selphie giggled. 

"Does that mean you like it?" 

"Like it!?" Rinoa said as she pulled away. "It's great! I want this sent out right away!" 

"Seifer, what do you think?" Quistis said, looking over at the blond who was sitting next to her. 

"Yeah, Seifer," Zell said with a grin. "You were the one who said that Selphie would ruin you guys." 

Seifer stared blankly at the screen, as if in disbelief. "Seifer..." Quistis called out again. 

"It's...okay..." Seifer stated. 

Zell groaned and Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, Selphie!" Rinoa said. "From now on, you're the only person I want to do my music videos." 

"Really!?" Selphie gasped, her eyes wide. Rinoa nodded her head enthusiastically. 

"What!?" Seifer growled. "Hell no-" 

"And if Seifer says otherwise, I'll just fire him!" Rinoa added lightly. 

"What the hell!?" Seifer growled angrily. "FINE!" he shouted. "It was good, all right! But she's not doing another one-" 

"So when are you next available?" Rinoa said, completely ignoring the steaming blond. Quistis put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. 

"Seifer...honey, just let it go." 

* * *

Rinoa sat on the edge of her seat. Squall was sitting next to her, his arm behind her as she sat forward, her eyes glued on the screen. Her music video just debuted and was now closing up. The video jockey popped up on screen. 

"And that was the premiere for the video from Angel on her first single from her upcoming album 'Return Home'," the VJ said. "Directed by novice director Selphie Tilmitt." 

"What do you think?" Rinoa said as she turned to look at Squall. He was leaning against the couch comfortably and he shrugged. 

"It was a good video." 

"What if no one likes it?" Rinoa said nervously. "What if no one gets it?" 

"Rinoa, calm down," Squall said as he sat up straight. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Everything will be fine. The reviews will be positive and the video and song will have great reviews. You have nothing to worry about." 

Rinoa buried her face in Squall's shoulder. "Thank you," she sighed. "I'm just really nervous." 

"I know..." 

"If you look closely at the wedding scene," the VJ was saying as Rinoa kissed Squall gently. "You can see Angel's manager playing the best man. We've started getting calls on who the man she's marrying is and rumors say that he might just be Angel's ex-boyfriend." 

"Hey..." Rinoa said. Squall was tracing her jawline with his lips as she tore herself away from him. "How'd they find out?" 

Squall sighed and lifted up the remote. He pressed the button and the television went blank. "Tomorrow you can find out the results," Squall said as he pulled her into his arms. "Tonight is our last night here together," he told her sternly. "We have to make the most of it." 

Rinoa smirked and leaned over to kiss him once more. "And HOW exactly do you plan to do that?" 

"I think you know how." 

Rinoa leaned over and Squall fell back on the couch, bringing her down with him. Suddenly the phone rang and Rinoa pushed herself up off Squall and looked over the back of the couch, at the phone. "That might be Seifer with the reviews!" she gasped. 

Squall sighed and raised his hand to touch her face. She looked back down at him. "Rin..." 

The phone rang in the background and Rinoa stood up. Squall sighed and sat back up. She walked around the couch and headed towards the counter. She grabbed the phone cord and pulled it out of the wall, stopping it's ringing. 

Squall watched as she ran into her bedroom and disconnected the other phone. She walked back out pushed him down on the couch. "They can wait," she said with a slight smile as she turned off the lights. "You're more important." 

* * *

Next Time:  
Moving into the Garden! Rinoa moves back and chaos ensues as the group tries to help them move furniture. A little Seifer x Quistis action. Yes, it's random, but this story still has no plot. 


	15. Home Is Where The Garden Is

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Fifteen: Home Is Where the Garden Is_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: Hi! Okay, "Drifted" is my pointless, plotless story. That being said, I don't know how to end it. So I'll just keep it as an on-going story. Something that I'll update every so often. It's very light hearted without anything really gripping (at least not any more). I won't end this story (officially), I'll just randomly add stuff to it. Thank you all for reading! Comments, questions, requests, etc. are always welcomed. ^_^ And remember how Rinoa knew about the OTHER thing that Seifer and Quistis did? It is revealed! -_-;; Might be slightly disturbing. 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"The moving van will be at the Garden in two days," Rinoa said as she hung up the phone. She looked over at Squall, who was busying carrying out a heavy, taped up, cardboard box marked 'Angelo's Things' on the side. "Squall, are you sure you can carry that?" 

"You can explain to me why Angelo has fifty pounds worth of toys later," Squall grumbled as he heaved the box on to the cart that Zell was holding steady outside. "Is that it?" 

Rinoa looked around the then vacant suite and nodded. She sighed as she stood at the door way and held her purse in her hands. "That's it," she said. "I'm going to miss this place." 

"We can always come back, Rinoa," Squall said as he wiped the sweat off his brow. His leather jacket was piled on top of the boxes outside in the hall and sweat darkened his chest, back, and under arms of his shirt. Rinoa was dressed snuggly in dark blue jeans and a black sweater with light blue snow flakes across her chest. "C'mon, the train's going to be leaving soon." 

Rinoa nodded and flicked the light switch down. She stepped back and took one last look at the suite. With one last sigh, she turned around and closed the door. Zell was half way down the hall, pushing the cart to the elevator as Squall locked the door. 

"Is everyone ready?" 

Squall nodded. His father, Kiros, Ward, and Ellone had left that morning for Esthar. Raijin and Fujin had left for Deling City to get Rinoa's things from her flat forwarded to Balamb Garden. The others were waiting at the train station and making sure the rest of Seifer and Rinoa's things were packed in. 

"Are you okay?" he asked as he looked down at her. Rinoa nodded sadly. 

"I'm just going to miss it," she replied softly. "It's where I got back together with you." she said, looking back up at him. 

Squall smiled slightly. "We can make new memories at the Garden, Rinoa. Don't worry." She nodded and they got into the next elevator. Zell had taken the first one and had taken up most of the room. Within moments, they were in the lobby and headed towards the front. 

They got into the large van waiting for them and were driven to the train station. Once there, they got their tickets and boarded the train. The others were already seated and Rinoa went to make sure that all her things were checked. Selphie handed her Angelo and Demona. Shizuka and her had been watching all three dogs. 

Demon yawned and sat across from Rinoa and Squall with Angelo. The train began to go forward and Rinoa looked out the window. She began to try to think where she would put all of her things in Squall's room. She mentally began to draw out a map of his room and tired to remember exactly where was what. 

Squall looked over next to him at Rinoa. They were in a cabin, away from the other passengers. Rinoa had splurged so Squall could get some rest away from the others. The only other living beings with them were Angelo and Demona. Rinoa seemed deep in thought as Squall leaned his head against his shoulder. 

"Hmm?" she turned to look at him and smiled. "What's wrong? Are you tired?" 

"You did make me carry a million pounds of dog toys," Squall said casually. Rinoa giggled and stroked his still damp hair. His scent flooded her senses and she blushed furiously. "I just hope I have enough room at my place for all of their toys." 

"We can always get a separate room for me and put most of my stuff there," Rinoa said. "Are you sure Cid said I could share a room with you?" 

"Yes," Squall assured her as he closed his blue eyes. Rinoa shifted her body slightly to cradle him more and put an arm around his shoulders. His head then rested against the crook of her neck, right above her breasts. He opened one eye and smirked. "We'll have the Garden to ourselves for about another week. Do you want to go skinny dipping again?" 

"No," Rinoa sighed. Squall suddenly felt disappointed. "There are too many of us there. Who knows who might see. And you know Seifer will complain." 

"I guess..." Squall said. He paused for a moment. "Rinoa...remember when we were having dinner that night and you said you knew about the 'other' thing that Seifer and Quistis did...just out of curiosity, what did they do?" 

"They defiled my hot tub." Rinoa said with a frown. 

Squall shivered at the thought. "Just wondering." 

"And my laundry room." 

"..." 

"And my pool," Rinoa added. "And the island of my kitchen." 

Squall looked disturbed. "Hyne, was there anything else that they didn't miss?" he asked, slightly disgusted at the thought. 

"And Angelo's dog house." Squall stiffened and turned to look up at Rinoa. 

"What?" he asked, extremely disturbed at that point. He pulled away from Rinoa and she nodded, almost ashamed. 

"It was brand new...big enough for a person...well...now we know it was big enough for TWO people-" 

"That's enough!" Squall said. "I don't think I can take any more..." He turned his head away and rubbed his forehead. 

"I found...things there..." Rinoa mumbled, almost as if reliving her horrifying experience. "Angelo wouldn't go in...so I thought there was a raccoon or something. And...I found...something..." 

"Rinoa..." Squall began, but Rinoa cut him off. 

"And Quistis came out began to apologize...I knew what IT was then..." Rinoa seemed to whimper. Squall reached over to hold her and she jumped. "Please don't touch me right now!" she cried out. 

*I'm going to kill those two...* Squall thought. He stayed away from her as she told him that she later had the dog house burned and from then on, Angelo stayed indoors with her. 

There was a knock at the door before it slid open. Seifer looked into the room casually. "Rinoa, I just got a call from -" 

"You dog house killer!" Rinoa exclaimed suddenly, surprising all three of them. Demona looked up and Angelo merely put a paw over her eyes. Seifer narrowed his eyes. 

"Have you been drinking?" he asked. 

"No!" Rinoa gasped, her entire face turning red. "What is it!?" 

Seifer took a step away from the door. "Raijin just called and said that they're sending over some clothes and want to know if you want anything else." 

"I'm fine!" Rinoa said. Seifer looked at Squall and then at Rinoa and closed the door with an unnerved look on his face. "It was such an expensive dog house..." 

Squall rolled his eyes. *It's going to be a long ride...* 

* * *

Rinoa tore open one box and began to remove some hangers. She had already shoved all of Squall's clothes to one side of his closet to make way for hers. "Rinoa!" a voice shouted from the main room. "Where do you want all this crap!?" 

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "It's not crap, Seifer!" she said as she walked out of the bedroom. Irvine, Zell, Seifer, and Squall were all carrying her things into the room. Quistis and the other girls had gone to go get a late dinner from town. 

"Just dump it anywhere," Irvine said. "They're all clothes anyway, nothing will break." 

"That's the smartest thing you've ever said." Seifer mumbled. Without a second thought, he dropped the cardboard box on the ground, right behind the couch. Rinoa realized only too late what was inside. 

"Wait! Do gently-" she began, but it was too late. The box fell and it's sides split from the impact. Rinoa yet out a horrified scream as she grabbed Squall's jacket, which had been hanging over the side of the couch, and threw it on to the pile of clothes. 

With her face burning red she turned and glared at the tall blond who had just dumped her box of underwear on the ground. Seifer shrugged. "Hey, you just said to move them in." 

"Well then move them in and place them down GENTLY!" Rinoa yelled at his back. Squall placed a box next to her. 

"There's one more box." Squall said. 

Rinoa looked around. "Oh, it's my exercise box. Squall, go help whoever is carrying it," she said as she tried to put her panties and bras back into the cardboard box. "There are a bunch of weights in there and -" 

"AHHH!!! MY BACK!!" 

Squall turned his head and swore as he and Rinoa rushed out into the hall way. Standing there, his arms around one heavy box was Seifer. Zell and Irvine were now carrying the box away from as he stood there, froze in mid lifting motion. 

"Seifer, are you okay?" 

"Do I look okay!?" he growled, wincing in pain as he tried to turn and glare at Rinoa. "GET ME TO A DOCTOR!!" 

* * *

"Thank Hyne Dr. Kadowaki was here early," Selphie said as they stood outside the infirmary. Inside, they could hear Seifer yelling at Rinoa as Quistis tried to calm him down. "Otherwise, we'd have to ship Seifer to town to get looked out." 

They heard swearing as Seifer was looked over by the doctor. "YES, it hurts there! That's why I'm YELLING!!" he growled suddenly. 

Irvine winced. "Man, I'd hate to be Rinoa right now." 

"SHUT UP, SEIFER!!" a female voice shouted back. "I already said I'm SORRY!" 

"No, I'm sure I'd hate to be Quistis..." Zell mumbled. 

"Be quiet, both of you! Let Dr. Kadowaki do her work!" Quistis' voice shouted as well. The trio outside sighed. 

"Where's Squall?" Irvine said. 

"He's feeding Angelo and Demona," Selphie said. She suddenly gasped. "That reminds me! We still have to feed Irvy-poo! Irvy, let's go!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him off in the hallway. 

Zell watched them run off as the doors to his left slid open. Rinoa walked out, looking annoyed. "He just won't stop," she sighed. "Did you hear him?" 

"Yeah, he's really loud." Zell agreed. 

"And I don't recall forcing him to carry one big heavy box by himself," Rinoa added. "Anyway, thanks for your help today, Zell. I really appreciate it." 

"It's no problem," Zell said. "I'm going to go grab some dinner with Shizuka. I'll see you around." 

"Later!" Rinoa waved her hand as Zell headed down the hall. Rinoa turned and walked up the hall, towards the elevators. 

As she turned a corner, she ran into Squall. "Do you want to eat dinner now?" he asked as he walked towards the elevators with her. She nodded. 

"I've been dying to, but Seifer just wouldn't stop complaining," Rinoa told him. "Anyway, I'm sorry about leaving all that stuff in your room. I'll unpack first thing tomorrow." 

"It's all right, take your time," Squall assured her as they got into the elevator. "Angelo and Demona have been fed." 

"That's good." Rinoa said. As the doors opened, she let out a slight giggle and Squall looked at in her question. 

"What is it?" he asked. 

Rinoa reached over and pulled something silky and red from the back of the collar of his jacket. She held it up to him and Squall felt his face turn red. "You didn't feel this hanging there?" she chuckled as she lifted the red bra to his face. 

"No!" *Hyne, I was walking around with that thing the whole time!? I'm glad the Garden is still empty...crap, what about the security cameras!?* Squall frowned as Rinoa brought the bra down. 

"Sorry," she chuckled. "I just grabbed the nearest thing to cover my broken lingerie box." 

Squall sighed. "Whatever," he shrugged. She reached over and put her arms around his waist randomly. He turned and looked at her with confusion. "What now?" 

"Nothing," she said with a cheerful smile as she leaned against him and smiled. "I'm just happy to be back with you." 

He smiled slightly and put his arms around her, kissing her forehead softly. "I'm happy you're back..." he whispered softly as he stroked her hair. "Don't leave me again." 

"Then don't tell me to leave," she replied. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. No matter how many times she looked up at them, they were still the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. "Promise." 

"Promise." The elevator doors opened and he lead her out. They headed towards their room, his arm around her shoulder as she leaned against him. 

When they entered his room, he swept her up off her feet and carried her into the room. "What are you doing!?" she laughed as they passed the two sleeping dogs and headed into the room. 

"Getting some rest," he asserted as he carried her into the bedroom. "Aren't you tired?" 

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Are you REALLY tired?" she asked. He nodded as he tossed her gently on the bed. "It's only...eight..." 

"Rinoa, you made me move in dozens of boxes," Squall said as he removed his jacket and hung it in the closet. Rinoa watched with interest as he removed his white shirt and tossed it into the laundry hamper with grace. "Then we had to carry Seifer to the infirmary. And while all of you were down there with him, I had to finish moving your clothes in here and take out the things for the dogs." 

Rinoa wasn't paying attention to his little lecture. Instead, her eyes were pasted to the muscles on his back as he moved. She could make out the silver chain around his bare neck as his hands reached down and unbuckled his belts. *Wow...maybe I should put a bill in his pants or something.* she thought with amusement. 

Squall turned around, the top button of his leather pants undone as he headed towards the dresser. He stopped as he suddenly felt eyes watching him with intense interest. His blue eyes lifted to meet Rinoa's and suddenly he felt naked and turned red. "What?" he asked, trying to sound annoyed. 

"Nothing..." she sang out. She had kicked off her shoes and sat up on the side of the bed. "I'm just getting ready for bed." 

He nodded, but remained wary of her. *It's like she's looking at me with predatory eyes...it's a bit unnerving...* He nearly jumped as Rinoa walked past him to get to the closet. She went to rummage through some boxes within and Squall quickly slipped into a pair of cotton pants. 

He tossed his leather pants into the hamper as he passed it. Rinoa had wandered into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As he got comfortable beneath the thick covers of his bed, Rinoa walked out in a penguin printed tank top and shorts. She dumped her worn clothes into the hamper and then went to her side of the bed. 

"Good night, Squall." She said as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. She snuggled into the bed and turned her back to him. 

Squall looked up at the ceiling after he turned off the lamp next to the bed. "Rinoa..." 

"Yes?" 

"I love you." 

* * *

"AH! Dammit, that hurts!" Seifer shouted angrily. Quistis rolled her eyes and purposely tugged on the brace once more, sending Seifer into a screaming fit. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" 

"Stop complaining," she told him sternly. "We all know that you're in pain, but you're just going to tire yourself out if you keep yelling." 

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?" he growled back. He was laying on the bed on his stomach with Quistis sitting next to him. "I can't MOVE. I can't even watch television! We can't even do it!" 

"Will you keep it down?" Quistis hissed in a low voice. "What is the big deal? You'll be fine in a few days. Just relax." 

"How can I relax?" Seifer grumbled. "I've been planning this whole thing for months and now I can't even do it!" 

"Do WHAT? Move?" Quistis sighed. "You can hold off on that for a few days." 

"I was supposed to take you by the house I bought in town tomorrow, but I can't even leave the damn bed!" 

"What's the big deal?" Quistis asked, annoyed with his whining. "You can show it to me some other time." 

"The big deal is that the flowers, the musicians, the caterers are all set for tomorrow and I can't reschedule!" Seifer snapped back. 

"WHY do you have all of those?" Quistis asked, somewhat interested now. 

"Because!" Seifer snapped back. He reached for his jacket that was hanging on the best post. He stuck his hand into the breast pocket inside the jacket and pulled out a small black box. "Because I was going to ask you to marry me, Quistis Trepe!" 

Her heart stopped. Seifer was on his stomach, desperately fumbling with the velvet black box. He winced as he finally was able to open it and held it out at her. His eyes were diverted as Quistis' blue orbs stared at him in disbelief. Slowly her heart began to pound in her chest. A shaking hand reached for the box. 

The diamond glistened in the dim lamp light against a platinum band. It was framed by two smaller diamonds. Her mouth opened as she let out a breath. Her hand touched the sparkling jewel hesitantly. It was real. 

She had always hoped that he would propose, but never really believed he would. He was always concerned with business and Rinoa's career and figured that if he did propose, it would be in a long time. Now the engagement ring was staring her right in the face. Asking to be worn. 

"Seifer..." she whispered softly as she looked at the ring. 

His face was red, his head turned away, unable to look at her. "I had this big elaborate thing planned out. I was going to sweep you up and carry you into the house. The band was going to be playing your favorite song. And on the dining table, the only piece of furniture I've bought for the damn place, would be a nice candle light meal for us. And I was going to ask you to marry me after we ate and before dessert," he explained. "I'm sorry it had to end up like this." he added reluctantly. 

"You really want to marry me...?" she asked quietly, almost afraid to find out the answer. 

He finally turned his head to look at her. He gave her a strange look, as if she were insane. "Who wouldn't?" he asked back. His look softened intently. "You're beautiful and extremely smart. And good natured. You care about everyone. You're the only person who can tolerate me like this," he added with a nervous laugh. "Baby, I love you. I want to spend my entire life with you," he breathed out. His heart paused in his chest. "Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?" 

Quistis seemed to stare at him for an eternity. His heart was about to stop completely when her lips finally parted with the answer. "Yes, Seifer Almasy, I will marry you." 

Immediately, a rush of relief filled Seifer as his head fell back on the bed. "Thank Hyne..." he mumbled into the pillow. He turned back to her and smiled. "You can put the ring on now." 

Quistis chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she plucked the obviously expensive ring from the box and slipped it on to her ring finger. "It's beautiful, Seifer..." 

"Only the best for you." he replied. He tossed the ring box on the floor as Quistis laid down next to him and laid down on her side, facing him. She stared intently at the ring, not really believing that it was there. Not really believing that he had asked her to marry him. 

"I'm dreaming..." she whispered as tears rimmed her eyes. "This is too good to be real..." 

Seifer smiled softly and swept back some of her blond bangs. "When you wake up tomorrow, will you believe it?" 

"Maybe..." 

"Then go to sleep," he whispered. "The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake. The sooner you believe that you'll be Mrs. Almasy." 

"Trepe-Almasy," she corrected him with a smile. "Instructor Trepe-Almasy." 

* * *

"Angel's latest single has broken her previous records of number one singles. A big reason behind the success of the yet to be released album is said to be her novice directed music video," the radio was saying as Rinoa leaned over the mixing boards of the studio. She wasn't really paying attention as she fiddled with the controls. "Rumor has it that her next video, which will be directed by Selphie Tilmit, will be dedicated to her manager Seifer Almasy and his fiancée and her friend, Balamb Garden instructor Quistis Trepe. With her two other assistants engaged to be married next month, the question still stands - when and with whom will Angel marry?" 

"Turn it off," Rinoa said. Zell reached over and turned off the radio. "They've been engaged for a week and already the entire world knows." 

"The rumor mill is already starting to churn and linking you with all these celebrities," Seifer said as he played her latest recording over. "I wonder what captain puberty thinks about it." 

"He's still locked up in his office after being mobbed by female cadets when school started," Zell said. "He says that thanks to Rinoa's video, he can't go outside without being bombarded by fans." 

"Beauty is pain," Rinoa snickered. "Is that the final recording?" 

"Yes, I'm sending it to Raijin and Fujin. It'll be out by the end of the month." Seifer said. 

Rinoa fell back on her seat and let out a heavy sigh. "Whoo...that's the last album I'll put out in a while..." She looked at her watch. "Oh...Squall's going to get out of work soon. I'll see you two at the restaurant for dinner?" 

"Yeah!" Zell said. "I just have to deliver something first." Rinoa nodded and left the recording studio. She quickly ran to her car and drove back to the Garden. Within minutes she reached the Garden and parked her car in the garage. 

A few students greeted her as she rushed in, heading towards the elevators. She waited impatiently to get to Squall's office. When she finally reached it, she nearly threw open the door. Squall looked up from his paper work while headphones on. He smiled warmly as he pulled them off. 

"What are you listening to?" she asked. 

"One of your songs." 

She blushed and walked towards him. "Which one?" she asked. Squall turned in his chair and patted his lap. She sat down on it and put her arms around him, snuggling her head against his shoulder. 

"_Welcome Home_." he replied as he kissed her head. 

She smiled brightly. "It's good to be back." 

* * *

**Next Time:** Okay, that's kind of the end of the story, I guess. I'll occasionally update with something random. You know, just pointless stuff to the plotless story. Thank you all for reading! I hope it wasn't TOO pointless and that you enjoyed some of it! Thanks again!! Much love! 


	16. Post Music Video Life

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Sixteen: Post Music Video Life_  
By PasifiKStaR 

**Author's Note**: This has actually been half way done since chapter 15 was posted...I just never got around to continue it. ^.^ More randomness! Beware the Squallies... 

*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"So...what time ARE you coming home?" Squall asked. He was leaning back against his big leather chair as he held his phone up to his ear. He was dressed in his usual attire, despite Cid asking him to wear his uniform. 

"I'll be back around ten," Rinoa answered. She was on the other line and looked past her shoulder to where Seifer was impatiently tapping his foot and pointing to his watch. She merely rolled her eyes and turned his back to him. "I'm sorry. I know we were going to eat dinner together, but there were errors in the recording and...well, you know." 

"I understand," Squall assured her calmly. He looked over at the bouquet of red roses he had bought earlier that day. They were laying across his desk, next to his computer. "I had nothing else planned." He reached over and took the pile of flowers. He lifted his hand and tossed it into the trash can by his desk. 

"Squall, I'm so sorry-" Rinoa continued. 

"The longer you keep talking, the longer we'll be stuck here!" Squall heard Seifer shout. 

"I'll be right there!" she shouted back. "Squall, I have to go. I love you." 

Squall paused. "Me, too." 

"Bye, honey!" Rinoa took what she could get and hung up the phone. Squall let out a heavy sigh as he put the phone back on the receiver. He ran a hand down his face as he leaned forward over his desk. It was the second time that week that she had called him to tell him she would be coming home late. 

It seemed that right after Rinoa sent in her last recording, there were some problems found on the recording and she had to re-do them in the studio at Balamb. She didn't want to stay and do them and neither did Seifer, who, according to Quistis, had already called in late as well. Obviously, the blond fiancee didn't seem to have as big a problem as this had been a regular occurance during their time dating. 

But for Squall, who had thrown himself into his and Rinoa's relationship, it was getting annoying. He lifted up the phone and went through the address book on his computer. He found who he was trying to call and quickly dailed the number. 

"Hello, thank you for calling the Vanilla Chocobo. How can I help you?" a man asked on the other line. 

"Hi...it's Captain Leonhart..." he trailed off. 

"Ah...Captain...I take it from your call you are canceling the reservation...again?" the man asked. 

Shamefully, Squall mumbled. "Yes..." 

"Would you like to reschedule?" 

"At this point, no," Squall grumbled. "I'll call when I'm positive." 

"Good luck to you then, captain!" 

"Yeah..." Squall hung up the phone. The Vanilla Chocobo was a Trabian resturant, the best in Balamb town. Rinoa loved their cold desserts, so he was going to take her there for an all dessert meal. It cost several gil to even reserve a space on a week day night. Then each dessert plate was expensive. He had been planning to take here there again after she said that their famous chocobo shaped vanilla gelato was the best she'd ever tasted. 

Instead of eating dessert with Rinoa, he would now have to eat hot dogs will Zell. Irvine and Selphie were in Deling City running and errand for Irvine's part time job working under Rinoa and Seifer's record label. At the same time, Selphie was sent to a meeting at Galbadia Garden in place of Cid, who had stubbed his toe and couldn't walk. 

Quistis would probably be at the studio with Seifer and Rinoa, since she got off early and Seifer would usually send a car over to pick her up. Since that day was a Friday, she would probably spend the weekend with her fiancee at their house just outside of Balamb Town. 

Squall stood up as soon his he shut down his computer and headed for the cafeteria. He was putting his jacket on as he closed the door with his free hand. He locked it behind him and turned around. His eyes narrowed as he stopped where he was. His secretary had left for the day, but there was something odd - he just couldn't pin point it. 

Still wary of his surroundings, he began to walk towards the hallway. His boots hit the cold tile that lined the halls and his entire body stiffened. THEY were watching him. He could FEEL their eyes locked on to his frame and suddenly he felt vulnerable under their gaze. They had been everywhere lately. 

In fact, at the start of the new school year, the enrollment to Balamb Garden had all but doubled. The majority of female applicants practically tripled. Cid had been ecstatic, although they couldn't accept everyone. Irvine had been the one to point out that the reason that the number of applicants grew was because a certain Captain had become a reknowned sex symbol to Gaia's female population. 

Before anyone could point fingers, Squall hissed that he had not, therefore putting the spot light on him. He hated the attention. They KNEW he hated the attention. But that didn't stop Selphie from making a video documentary on a day in the life of Squall. It had been the longest day of his life. 

Everyone knew him as "the hot guy in Angel's video". That title had earned him numerous invitations from females as well as a Balamb Garden based fan club Selphie and Zell, as well as everyone else, referred to as 'The Squallies'. Quistis had gotten a good laugh out of that, although she still had her full share of followers. 

However, today, he knew they were watching him. They were hiding in the shadows of the hall and he could feel their eyes on him. *They're undressing me with their eyes...* Squall thought to himself as he unconciously tugged his jacket tighter around him. *I can FEEL it...* 

"Squall!" a voice shouted. It was a male voice and much too familiar. He turned around, relief flooding his face as he saw Zell bounding towards him. 

*Zell!* Squall thought with relief. *Zell will help me out!* 

He stopped and waited for the blond to reach him. Zell smiled weakly. "Listen, Shizuka and I are going out to dinner tonight," Squall's stoic face didn't move, although the corner of his lip twitched slightly. Zell rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Anyway, I figured you'd know where to go." 

Squall's blue eyes narrowed and Zell took a step back nervously. "Tonight?" He said, his voice deep and dangerous. 

Zell swallowed. "Uh...yeah...Um...so do you know a place?" 

Squall took a deep breath. *Calm down...it's not his fault that his girlfriend wanted to be with him tonight whereas yours is else where...it's not HIS fault. So don't take it out on him.* 

"Squall?" Zell piped nervously, particially afraid that Squall would gut him right there. 

"The White Chocobo." Squall stated in a monotone voice. Zell tilted his head to his side. 

"The what?" 

"The White Chocobo," Squall replied as he turned on his heel. "I was going to take Rin there tonight, but she's stuck at the studio." 

"Oh...bummer man. I guess you're eating dinner alone tonight, huh?" Squall felt Zell's words like a hammer to the back of his head. "Sorry man! Well, I got to go! Shizuka's waiting!" 

With that, Zell happily skipped away. *Great...* Squall grumbled. *Not only am I being stalked by fanatics who saw me in a video, but I'm eating alone. I wouldn't have cared a few months ago, but I feel like everyone ditched me.* 

As he headed towards the elevator, his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellular phone. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Hi! Go outside! I sent a car for you!" 

"Rinoa?" Squall said, trying to hide the excitment that was bubbling inside of him. "A car?" He stepped into the elevator and pressed the bottom floor button. 

"Just go! It'll take you to the studio. Quistis ordered some food - we'll have a little dinner here." Rinoa answered, her voice obviously cheerful. 

"Rinoa, will you hurry up! We need to re-do track seven!" Seifer shouted in the background. "OW!" 

Squall didn't hear him being hit, but he did hear Quistis' voice. "Will you let her talk to him! Honestly, Seifer!" 

"You didn't have to hit me, Quistis." Seifer grumbled. 

Rinoa let out a heavy sigh. "I'll see you here?" 

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Squall assured her. The elevator doors opened and he began to walk as quickly as he could to the front of the Garden. "Are you sure it's okay?" 

"Seifer's going to complain no matter what," Rinoa said with a chuckle. "But I miss you. Come see me." 

Squall couldn't help but smile as he stepped out of the Garden and saw Rinoa's limo awaiting him. "I'll see you in a bit." 

* * *

The door opened and Quistis looked up. She waved and smiled. "She's recording!" she told him in a low voice. Seifer was standing there with the technicians, wearing a head set and looking concentrated. Squall walked deeper into the room and looked through the glass. 

Rinoa was partially resting her butt on a stool as she held the head phones against her ears. There was a microphone in front of her and her eyes were closed. She'd open her mouth and Squall could hear her smooth voice through the glass. Her face was filled with emotion as she sang and he smiled. 

"Okay, take a break." a voice said. Squall looked up and noticed that Seifer had been the one to tell her that. Rinoa removed the head phones and looked through the glass. Her face filled with joy as she waved and dashed out of the room. 

The door to the recording room opened and Rinoa rushed out. "You came!" she said with a bright smile. She put her arms around his neck and drew him down to kiss him. "Guess what, Seifer, my insanely punctual manager," she began. Seifer scowled at her. "Said we're done for the day. So what do you want to do?" 

"Let's get something to eat," Squall said. "You said there was food?" 

"Just came in!" Quistis shouted behind them. She was unpacking a plastic bag filled with paper boxes. "Rinoa wanted noodles...Seifer wanted a sub sandwich...here's my chicken salad and smoked salmon. Squall, we didn't know what you wanted, so we got you some roasted chicken." 

"That's fine." the captain said as he was handed a small box. He fell on to the couch, next to Rinoa, who was already digging into her noodles with chopsticks. 

"What do you want to do afterwards?" she asked as she swallowed her food. 

"Anything that's away from the Garden." Squall admitted. 

"Are the Squallies still stalking you?" Quistis asked. Seifer was sitting on a chair and had pulled Quistis on his lap. She didn't protest as his arms went around her. One hand rested on her hip as the other held the sandwich. 

"Don't call them that." Squall grumbled. 

Rinoa snickered. "You know, I heard that they're giving tours on his daily schedule now." 

"Really?" Quistis asked. "I heard that they've resorted to stealing his clothes." 

Squall looked up from his food, looking absolutely horrified. "My shirt count has been going down..." he mumbled. 

"Yeah...you know how most people just leave their stuff in the laundry room and go off as they're washing? Well, it seems that when you're not there, they steal your clothes." Quistis reported. 

"But I wash my and Rinoa's clothes together," Squall frowned. Rinoa's eyes narrowed. "And she's been missing some things, too." 

"Wait...so my favorite pair of Frederick's bra and panty set didn't 'mysteriously' disappear?" Rinoa asked, now annoyed. 

Squall coughed slightly. "Actually...I...um..." he looked away nervously. "I poured bleach on them and they became spotted." 

"I don't CARE about the color!" Rinoa snapped. "They were comfortable! I'm a little more endowed then before, Squall! I need the support!" 

*Oh yeah...* Squall's mind smirked deviously. He shook his head and tried to push away the dirty thoughts dancing around. "I'll buy you a new pair." 

"Forget it..." she sighed. "Anyway, you're being punished enough as it is with the Squallies." 

"Don't call them that!" Squall insisted, a large frown on his face. 

"But it's true!" Rinoa said. "Quistis, Selphie, and I found a flier-" 

"Can we just NOT talk about my stalkers?" Squall snapped, annoyed. Rinoa rolled her eyes and cuddled against him. 

"FINE..." she said. "I guess this would be a bad time to ask you to be in another music video?" 

"After the LAST one?" Squall gasped. "I did one video and look what's happened! My shirts are being stolen!" 

"Well, I'm missing some socks!" Rinoa retorted proudly. Squall looked at her, as if saying that her loosing her socks was not as serious as his loss of shirts. 

"If it's such a problem, why don't you just ask Cid to have a washing machine and dryer installed into your room?" Quistis said. 

"Where would we put it?" Squall asked. "It would be such a hassle." 

"Okay..." Quistis shrugged. "They're your clothes." 

Quistis and Seifer seemed to zone off as they ate their dinner and talked amongst themselves as Rinoa looked over at Squall with pleading eyes. He shook his head. "The Garden budget-" 

"I'll pay for it." Rinoa said quickly. Squall jerked his head back and mulled over the offer. 

He let out a heavy sigh. "Rinoa..." 

"Squall, there could be some pervert out there doing Hyne knows what with MY...things," Rinoa snapped. "Is that what you want?" 

Squalls eyes immediately narrowed. He put his food down on the table and dug out his cellular phone from his pocket. He dailed a number and lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello, Cid...?" 

* * *

Rinoa was walking Demona, who was growing up nicely, on a leash. Squall was watching Angelo, making sure that the dog, who wasn't wearing a leash, stayed close by. Rinoa's left hand was carefully held in Squall's as they walked down the park. 

"You want to sit down?" Rinoa asked as she pulled her hand away from his. She knelt down and removed Demona's leash. The dog immediately went to play with Angelo as they frolicked in the grass before them. 

Squall nodded and put his arm around Rinoa's waist, leading her to a bench that over looked the area where the dogs were running. "Rinoa...do you ever have the feeling that we're being...you know...watched?" 

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Squall, baby...I'm a pop star. You're a male sex symbol. Of COURSE we're being watched." 

"That's not what I meant!" he exclaimed tiredly. "I always feel these eyes on me...like they're undressing me or something." 

"Uh-huh..." Rinoa began to smirk slightly, as if the thought of doing so just entered her head. Her deep brown eyes raked down his body, making Squall shiver, but feel slightly flattered. 

"I don't know what the big deal is," he grumbled as he diverted his eyes. Rinoa was hugging him tighter now. Her hand was going up and down his stomach, almost as if purposely to feel his body. Rinoa rested her head on his shoulder gently. "All I did was run in the snow." 

"Yeah, but you look so damn good on camera," Rinoa said as she smiled sweetly. "Which is why I want you in my next video." 

"No." 

"You haven't even heard what it's about!" she said as she sat up straight and frowned. 

"All I know is that I suddenly have stalkers watching my every move and stealing my clothes from the laundry room." Squall told her. Rinoa sighed. 

"You makes a big deal of everything," Rinoa countered. "All you have to do is swim. I basically admire you from a far." 

"And I'm clothed, right?" Squall asked, thinking that she'd make him swim nude. 

"YES," Rinoa sighed. "Geez, Squall, you're such a pervert." 

"I am NOT a pervert," he insisted. "At any rate, I just don't want any more attention called to myself." 

"It's not like I'm asking you to strip," Rinoa argued. "I mean, I already talked Selphie out of that." 

Squall's eyes went wide as his arm dropped from her shoulder. "WHAT!?" 

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" she laughed nervously. "Seriously, though...think about it, PLEASE? For me?" 

Squall refused to look down at her. If he looked down, he would have to agree. But her hand was tugging at his jacket, just begging him to look at her. And he did. *Damn!* He relented. "Fine..." 

"Thank you!" Rinoa leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Let's go back to the Garden and I'll give my hard working captain a nice back rub, okay?" 

Squall merely nodded. A few minutes later, they were heading out of the park with Squall holding Demona, who didn't want to leave. They got into the limo that had been waiting for them and headed back to the Garden. As soon as they entered the gates, Squall already felt the eyes on him again. 

He put his arm possessively around Rinoa, as if to tell everyone that he was taken and not interested in anyone else. Unfortunately, the gazes didn't falter. "Rin..." he whispered as they walked towards the elevator. "They're watching us..." 

"Squall, you're being paranoid." Rinoa replied. 

Squall's eyes were narrowed. The hall seemed empty, but he KNEW they were hiding. They were standing behind the columns, around the corners, or something, but he knew they were there. He turned his head and barely caught the head of one of them being pulled back behind a pillar. He narrowed his eyes. 

"I just saw one." he attempted. 

"No, you did not," Rinoa sighed. She pressed the elevator button. "Squall, you're just seeing things." 

Undetured, Squall turned around once more and saw two more heads being pulled back and giggling. "Do you HEAR that?" he whispered in a low voice. 

"Squall!" Rinoa snapped. "For the last time, no one is here watching you. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about the security cameras." 

Squall's eyes widened, having completely forgotten about those. He turned to one of the more obvious ones in the hall and swallowed. *If Nida is selling videos of me, I'll kill him.* 

Rinoa sighed and pulled him into the elevator with the dogs. The door closed. "You'll get used to people looking at you." 

"I don't want to have to get used to it," Squall grumbled. "I want them to stop." 

"They won't stop," Rinoa assured him. "I didn't stop, did I?" 

"That's different..." Squall mumbled. "When I saw you I..." His voice trailed off. *I knew you'd change my life...* 

"You'd...?" Rinoa persisted. Squall turned his head away, embaressed. 

"Nothing." The doors open and Squall quickly stepped out, pulling Rinoa behind him gently. They headed towards the door and Squall put through his key card and the doors slid open. 

"Honestly, Squall..." Rinoa sighed as she walked into their room. "You are not being stalked." 

She walked by the answering machine and pressed the button. "You have 104 messages." Squall froze and Rinoa turned to him. 

"Squall, I know you told me never to call this number unless it's an emergency," It was Irvine and Squall let out a heavy breath. Rinoa sighed and headed to the bed room to change. Squall wandered into the kitchen to feed the dogs some treats. "Anyway, can you forward me 300 gil?" 

"What?" Squall frowned and looked back at the machine as he opened the top of the doggy treat box. There was a beep. 

"Umm...hi...is this Squall Leonhart's number? :::Giggle:::" 

"Delete!" Riona said. She walked past the machine and pressed the delete button. "How do these people get your number? I thought we were unlisted." 

"I don't know..." Squall grumbled as he ran his hand down his face. 

"Okay, I'll screen you messages," Rinoa said as she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him into the bedroom. "You go get ready for bed, okay?" 

Squall let out a mumble and Rinoa sat down on the stool by the counter. She pressed the button. "Rin? Squall? It's Selphie!" the female voice said. "Can you do me a favor and remind Shizuka to feed Irvy-poo? Oh, and don't worry about the 300 gil, we got the rental car back!" 

Rinoa sighed and deleted that message. "Rinoa, Squall, this is Cid," the man said as he let out a tired sigh. "Nida has just reported that we've gotten an influx of calls to your number and so we're going to change your number. See me tomorrow for the new one." 

That was the message. Rinoa stared at the answering machine and Squall walked out, a white towel around his waist. He looked slightly confused. "Rinoa, do we have any more of that white body wash?" 

"Squall..." Rinoa sighed. She stood up. "It's under the sink. And Cid is changing our phone number." 

Squall frowned. "Why? What's wrong?" 

Rinoa raised her eyebrow and pressed the button once more. "Oh my Hyne! This is really Squall Leonhart's phone!? AHHH!!" More female screaming could be heard and Rinoa raised an eyebrow. 

Squall ran his hand down his face. "So..." he said tiredly. "Still want me in your video?" 

* * *

**Next Time:**  
The Squallies steal more of Squall's clothes, Selphie and Irvine return, and probably more randomness. Sorry...this has no point. -_-; I'm just bored. 


	17. Enter the Lion

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Seventeen: Enter the Lion_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: I have Batman references hidden in here. If someone can name all five, who/what they are in relationship to the Batman-verse, I'll update within a week that the person answers. I promise. Otherwise, I'll just take my sweet time like I've been doing with this one. This is just for fun, mind you. It will get updated eventually. BTW, while I said I would stop writing...this is my 'fun' project. :3 So it doesn't count.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"So what do you think?" Rinoa asked as she sat across from Selphie at the studio. "Squall said he'd do it."

Selphie wrinkled her nose and rubbed the bottom of her chin thoughtfully as she looked down at the lyrics of the song before her. "Well, considering that we're going to do it in the Garden to save money, I think it's do able."

"I've already talked to Cid about it," Seifer said as he looked over the time tables for the next week. "The papers are signed and everything. He was originally going to charge us more, but I managed to talk him down."

Rinoa nodded. "How many days we get?"

"Three," Seifer replied. He flipped over a page in the binder of time tables and ran his finger down one column. "There aren't any set times as of now. We need Messenger Girl's plans in order to secure times for certain places."

"I see," Rinoa mumbled. She looked back at Selphie, who was wearing a yellow tank top and a short denim skirt. "Selphie?"

"I'll get you the designs by Thursday," Selphie said. "I have classes tomorrow, so I can't do them then. But I have an idea so I'll get started tonight."

Rinoa let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Selphie!"

"No problem!" the petite brunette smiled happily. "You know I love doing this!"

Seifer opened his mouth to tell her the budget when there was a knock at the door. The trio looked up as Fujin walked in. "Knock knock."

"Fujin!" Rinoa squealed happily as she jumped off her chair and ran to the door. "What are you doing here!? The wedding isn't for another two weeks!" She shouted as she hugged Fujin tightly.

The white haired woman chuckled as the door opened further and Raijin came in. Rinoa quickly gave him another hug before he went to greet Seifer with a handshake. "Preparations." Fujin replied coolly.

"I checked with Cid and there's a room ready for you guys back at the Garden!" Selphie piped. Rinoa looked over at her friend.

"You KNEW they were coming over!?" Rinoa gasped. "Why didn't you TELL me!?"

"I saw them in Deling City, remember?" Selphie giggled slyly. "I...uh...forgot?"

"Right..." Rinoa sighed. She looked over at her manager. "Seifer, are we done for the day?"

"Just about," Seifer said. "I just have to make a few phone calls and -"

"Can't you make those phone calls tomorrow?" another voice sighed tiredly. Seifer's eyes went wide in surprise as a tall, leggy blond walked in. Quistis removed her glasses as she walked over to him. "Come on, honey, you can spare some time to have dinner with us right?"

Seifer opened his mouth to reply when Quistis sat on his lap roughly. He winced slightly and nodded. "Of course, baby...anything for you."

"Great," Quistis laughed. "The limo is waiting outside."

"Where are we having dinner, ya know?" Raijin asked as Seifer, Selphie, and Rinoa packed up their things.

"Where else!?" Selphie laughed, smiling all too brightly.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Seifer snorted as he looked around the loud bustling room filled with students and plastic trays. "The CAFETERIA!?"

"Relax," Selphie sighed. "We're just here to pick up the others." she laughed. Seifer still looked disgusted as he stood at the doorway, watching the lines of cadets and SeeDs wander through the table and chair lined area.

"There's Zell!" Quistis said.

"I see Irvine!" Selphie added. "I'll be right back!" She dashed into the cafeteria and Rinoa lifted her cellular phone to her ear as she finished dialing a number.

"Hi, sweetie!" she said sweetly on the phone. Seifer raised an eyebrow as he heard someone grumble a reply. Rinoa's happy eyes quickly narrowed. "What do you mean 'what is it'?" she hissed. "I'm calling you for dinner!"

Quistis ran her hand down her face and shook her head as Rinoa glared at her phone. Here we go... she thought to herself.

"NO it cannot wait!" she said. "Fujin and Raijin just got back for the wedding preparations and they're we're going out to eat..." she paused and Raijin, who was standing next to her, took a cautious step back as he noticed her fuming. "NO WE CAN'T GO WITHOUT YOU AND I WILL NOT BRING YOU BACK A DOGGY BAG!!" she nearly shouted.

"Uh...Fujin, Raijin! Have you see the new changes to the cafeteria yet!?" Quistis' nervous voice suggested as she grabbed on to both people and dragged them into the cafeteria with Seifer quickly following.

"By the cafeteria NOW," Rinoa ended. She flipped her phone close and shoved it into her pocket. She smiled brightly and looked around. "So where were we...hey..." She was alone.

* * *

"Called," Fujin said as she sat across the large circular table from Rinoa. "Phone disconnected."

"Oh..." Rinoa sighed tiredly. She ran her hand through her head and shook it tiredly. "We started receiving crank calls from the Squallies again-"

"Don't call them that!" Squall growled quickly. Rinoa promptly ignored him and continued to explain their plight.

"So anyway," she continued. "Cid had the number changed."

"That's the fifth time, ya know!" Raijin exclaimed. "Squall's really popular, ya know!"

"Tell me about it!" Rinoa agreed. "It's like we can't even go out with him looking around as if people are raping him with their eyes."

"Rinoa!" Squall shouted as his face turned beet red.

"What!?" Rinoa asked, as if shocked. Seifer was snickering to in his seat next to Quistis as Irvine and Zell looked away, desperately trying not to laugh. "It's the truth! You said so yourself-"

"Can we just drop the subject?" Squall sighed tiredly. He stabbed at his mashed potatoes.

"Fine..." Rinoa sighed. She looked over at Raijin and Fujin and beamed a smile. "So...I take it that everything is ready for the wedding?"

"Invitations sent." Fujin nodded.

"The decorations are arriving in a few days, ya know," Raijin added. "Selphie said she would help us decorate the ball room for the reception, ya know."

"What about the quad?" Selphie added. "Isn't the ceremony going to be held there?"

"Affirmative," Fujin nodded. "Already planned."

"Ah! This is so exciting!" Rinoa gushed. "I love weddings!"

"Which reminds me," Quistis added. "The wedding is two weeks away - when are our brides maids dresses going to arrive?"

"Tomorrow." Fujin assured her.

"Whoo, I'm glad," Selphie agreed. "That way any alterations that need to be made can be made in time."

"I was thinking about the security issue," Rinoa piped. "I mean...I know you wanted it to be a small, intimate affair. How do we stop party crashers?"

"We've just been discussing that, ya know," Raijin said. "We were hoping that you could spare some SeeDs for the job, ya know."

"Squall, do you think you can?" Rinoa asked. The blue eyed brunette merely nodded in agreement.

'If I get some SeeDs to guard the area, that means those insane stalkers can't come near ME either...' his mind concluded. "I'll have some men posted around the quad area and outside the doors to the ball room for the reception."

"Thank you." Fujin told him with a nod of her head.

"I can't wait!" Selphie nearly squealed in excitement. "This is going to be so fun!"

* * *

"Squall, PLEASE?" Rinoa pleaded as she laid on his bed. Squall was sitting up, leaning against the head board, to her right.

"No." he stated simply.

Rinoa didn't flinch. She cuddled closer and put her head against his bare shoulder. She looked up at him with large puppy brown eyes and allowed her lower lip to tremble. "Please...." she whimpered pitifully. Squall could feel his resolve fleeing.

"Rinoa, it's late," he told her as he tried to finish reading a report. "It's going to keep you up all night."

"But I WANT it," Rinoa insisted. She placed her hand on his chest and slowly drew little circles with her slender fingers. "PLEASE?"

"Rinoa..." Squall put down the report on his lap and made the mistake of looking at her. His resolve had officially gone down the drain. He let out a heavy sigh and tossed the report on the night stand. "What kind of soda do you want?"

Gleefully, Rinoa sat up straight and beamed him a smile. "I just want some ice tea," she said. "Here's a gil." She turned over to her side of the bed and picked out some change on the night stand.

Squall was already getting out of bed. His cotton draw string pants hung comfortably around his hips as he reached for a plain white shirt to wear. He looked over at Rinoa, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What?"

"Be sure to go to the vending machine on the second floor," she said. "It has the one I want."

Squall rolled his eyes and took the change. "You owe me."

Rinoa merely smiled as she sat up and draw her knees to her chest. Squall walked out of their bedroom and out the door. He grumbled to himself as he walked outside into the cold hall way and headed towards the elevators. On the ride down, he leaned heavily against the side, wishing he was in bed sleeping already rather than getting Rinoa a midnight soda.

Squall got off on the second floor and froze. His SeeD senses were tingling. Someone was watching him. He quickly took a deep breath to try and calm himself as he stepped forward. 'Calm down, Leonhart...' he told himself as he began a casual walk to the vending machines down the hall. 'You're just imagining things... it's late. Curfew is in effect. There wouldn't be any students here this late.'

He heard a foot step behind him and immediately turned around. The hall way was dim and empty. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Slowly, he turned around, but was almost positive he heard the slight sounds of girlish giggling. He shook his head once more, trying to dismiss the feeling of eyes upon him.

He reached the vending machines and put in a gil for Rinoa's soda. He quickly punched the button and out came an bottle of ice tea. Without another word, he turned around and headed back towards the elevators. He pressed the button and the doors immediately opened. As soon as they closed, he shivered.

They were there. Looming in the shadows - watching him with those adoring eyes. The doors opened again and Squall looked around. It was his floor. He stepped out cautiously and quickly made a beeline to his room. The door slid open and he rushed in to find Rinoa on the couch watching television.

"Baby, did you get my ice tea?" she called out casually. Squall nodded and walked over to her. He fell down on the couch next to her and handed her the bottle as she curled up next to him. She looked up at him and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"They're out there."

"Oh no, not this again..." Rinoa sighed as she sat up. "Squall, NO ONE is stalking you."

"Yes there is!" he exclaimed. "Someone IS staking, Rin," he insisted. "I was on the second floor and I heard foot steps and giggling."

"Maybe it's haunted."

"I wish," Squall mumbled. "Rinoa, this is driving me nuts..."

"It's not like they're doing any harm, Squall," Rinoa told him. "They're just admiring you from a far."

"And stealing my clothes."

"You don't have to worry about that any more, we got that washer and dryer installed," Rinoa reminded him. She took a drink and capped the bottle. She looked up at him and gently brushed back his brown bangs. "Squall, honey...you're over reacting."

"I am not over reacting! I'm getting stalked!"

"I think I would know how it feels to be stalked," Rinoa told him casually. "Squall, it's okay...no one is going to hurt you. Or capture you. Or throw you in a room full of fan girls waiting to strip you down to nothing and take advantage of you."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "This is serious."

"I know, but I'm sure it will die down," Rinoa told him. She sighed. "If you REALLY feel that way, you don't have to do my video...I'll just talk to Selphie about it. I'm sure she can do something else."

"Thank you," Squall stated. He leaned over and kissed her the top of her head. "By the way, what am I supposed to wear to the wedding?"

"Your SeeD uniform," Rinoa explained. She paused for a moment. "By the way...where IS your uniform?"

"In the closet."

"No it's not, I was looking for it the other day so I could iron it and hang it up..." Rinoa trailed off. Squall frowned and got off the couch. She watched him rush into the bedroom and then heard the sounds of the closet opening.

"It's NOT HERE!"

* * *

"His UNIFORM was stolen?" Selphie asked as she looked up from her drink. Rinoa nodded as she sipped on her own. Quistis shook her head as Fujin muffled a snicker.

"Welcome to my world..." Quistis said as she took another sip of her root beer float.

"Now he's freaking out about it," Rinoa said. "I already put in an order to get him a new uniform, but he's still very unhappy about it."

"Too far?" Fujin asked. Rinoa nodded.

"Definitely," she sighed. "It was all well and good when they just watched him from a far, but stealing his clothes is getting a bit old. Quistis, how did you deal with it?"

"I had a washer and drier installed in my room," Quistis explained. "And now, most of my good clothes are at the house."

"Lucky..." Selphie sighed. She paused and smiled. "I know! I'll get Squall's uniform back! I'll infiltrate the club, find out their mystic secrets, and take back our friend's sanity!"

Rinoa, Quistis, and Fujin all laughed. "Mystic secrets?" Quistis chuckled.

"They're not a cult, Selphie," she said. Her laughter trailed off. "Are they?"

"No," Quistis assured her. "Just rabid fan girls."

"I'll get right on it!" Selphie assured her. Rinoa shrugged and nodded.

"Okay..."

* * *

Selphie looked down at the flier in her hand. It was a small six by four card with Griever on it in silver and the words 'Fait Squall' under it. She shook her head and followed the directions to the fan club meeting place.

It had taken her a good amount of talking to convince Squall that it was even remotely close to a 'good idea'. Regardless, after much badgering, Squall gave in with a grunted "Fine, see if I care..." Selphie immediately hit the rumor mill and got hold of one of the meeting fliers.

Apparently, since the club was some sort of underground thing, they changed their meetings weekly and so one would only know where the next meeting is if one was told by word of mouth or handed one of the card fliers. Selphie had shown it to Rinoa, who was impressed, yet disturbed all at the same time.

The petite brunette stopped in front of one girl's dorm room and checked the back of the card to make sure that the meeting time and place were correct. She took a deep breath and knocked on the sliding door. Inside, she heard shuffling and muffled voices. Selphie narrowed her green eyes suspiciously. 'Okay, Selphie...remember who you're doing this for - your friends. Squall and his sanity are depending on you!'

The door slid open and a pretty cadet with short black hair answered the door and smiled warmly at her. "Hello! Can I help you?"

"Yes!" Selphie said, smiling back energetically. "I'm looking for...this..." She lifted up the card and the girl's blue eyes went wide.

"Oh!" The girl said. She took a step back and Selphie saw someone walk over to the door. The black haired girl stepped back and brown haired girl that towered above Selphie crossed her skinny arms over her chest and studied her.

"Listen, this is a sort of private club. If you want to join, you'll have to fill this form out," the girl said. She lifted up a sheet of paper and Selphie reached out for it. The girl quickly pulled it back and Selphie looked at her in question. "But in order to even GET this, you have to know the magic word. And hint - it's not 'Please'."

Selphie looked at the two girls and bit her lower lip. If she didn't answer correctly, all her chances of going into the club and destroying it from within were down the drain. "Ugh...I don't know...whatever?" She looked up hopefully.

The two girls narrowed their eyes suspiciously and Selphie felt herself begin to sweat. The brunette nodded and handed her the paper. "You have five minutes to fill it out. And I'd hurry if I were you." She shoved a pen in Selphie's hand and the door slid closed.

Selphie looked down at the sheet of paper and raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding me..." she mumbled as she sat down next to the door and began to fill in the answers to the questions. "What is Squall's birthday? His favorite color? Weapon? Limit Break? Favorite GF? SeeD Rank? Whoa...WAIST SIZE? Man, I wish I could make a copy of this..."

Selphie quickly finished filling out the paper, having been glad to know enough about Squall to fill out all the answers correctly. Including information on Squall's waist, shoe, and hat sizes from that time she and Rinoa were doing laundry at the same time. She stood up and knocked on the door.

It slid open again and this time a pretty blond girl with straight hair answered the door. "Finished?" she asked. Selphie nodded and handed her the paper. The girl looked it over and her eyes widened. She turned around and waved over another member of the club. This time, a red head with braided hair walked forward. They came together and whispered.

"All right!" the red head said spitefully as she turned and to look at Selphie. "Who are you?"

"Me?" Selphie asked. "Um...Stephanie! Stephanie...Timlit...yeah..." She smiled weakly and was glad that they didn't recognize her as Selphie Tilmit, Squall's friend. She had put her hair into two pig tails and was wearing a standard issue female cadet uniform.

"Hmm...How'd you know all the answers, Stephanie?" the red head asked suspiciously. "Even I didn't know Squall's gunblade's identification number."

"I...I...I volunteer at the SeeD balls sometimes and they check in their weapons! I just happened to be the one to check in Squall's gunblade one time and I memorized his number!" Selphie gasped. 'Actually, I have a bunch of our weapon ID numbers memorized...from Rin's Morning Star to Quistis' Save the Queen to Zell's favorite gloves.' she thought to herself proudly.

"Move aside, Ivy..." said another voice. The red head nodded and stepped aside as a cadet with long curly black hair answered the door. "She's a true Squallie. Let her into the Society of Leonhart."

The girls stepped aside and Selphie was allowed to enter the room. It was dimly lit and Selphie allowed her mouth to drop. The walls were all covered with pictures, both photographs and blown up posters, of the blue eyed, gunblade wielding brunette. Selphie took a closer look at some of the photos.

'What the...!? These pictures are from Rin and Squall's trip to Winhill last spring! How did they get these!?' Selphie thought to herself.

"Amazing isn't it?" the black haired woman said with a smile. "I'm Catherine by the way. Call me Cat. I also work at the photo place in town..." She looked at the pictures and smirked proudly. "I took the liberty of making copies for our beloved clubs. That...WOMAN whom entraps Squall's precious heart in her cold clammy claws just happens to develop pictures there."

"You mean Rinoa?" Selphie asked.

Immediately the girls all gasped and stared at her in shock. Selphie looked around the room at the dozen pair of eyes that looked at her as if she had just committed some sort of hubris. "What did you just say?" the girl named Ivy asked.

"Um...uh...Ri-"

"No!" Cat shouted immediately. "NEVER mention HER name in this sacred space of Squall!"

Selphie looked around nervously. "Sorry..." she mumbled. 'Hyne, they're crazy!'

"Cat, should be begin the meeting now?" asked the brown haired girl.

"Go ahead Talia...our secretary will now read the minutes from the last meeting," Cat said. She looked over at Talia. "Begin!"

Talia lifted up a note book and began. Selphie took a seat on the floor and watched as everyone hung on her every word. She took note of how they had stolen Squall's clothes and how they were working on getting his new number. Then they continued the meeting with each member telling them about a 'Squall sighting' or 'encounter'. Then came the 'Rinoa Bashing' session. Selphie found herself hesitant to say something negative about her friend.

"You must say something, Stephanie," Cat encouraged. "As a true Squallie, you must have something negative to say about...HER..." she said with a hint of disgust.

Selphie swallowed hard. "Um...She...uh..." 'Think, Selphie! Think!' "She has bad taste in clothing?"

"Excellent!" Cat exclaimed, pleased. Around the area, the girls all agreed and nodded their heads. "Now for our next part of the meeting, where shall we go for our Squall Moment?"

"Squall MOMENT?" Selphie asked. 'Oh yeah...definitely CRAZY.'

"We go to one of Squall's places and wait for him to come by. Then we all spend just a few minutes stealing glances from his heavenly face..." the blond named Quinn sighed happily.

'Oh...you mean STALKING!' Selphie wanted to scream. "Sounds fun! Where do we go this time?"

"WE do not go anywhere," Cat told her. "You're new, Stephanie. We suggest that you watch the group that is going to watch him this time. Which is the cabinet and three other members. Three members alternate. You have to learn to hide."

Selphie nodded. 'Whoa...I doubt the Trepies were ever this freaky.'

"All right! Today, we're going to the garage! We have reports that Squall will be leaving tonight to go watch a movie in town." Ivy smiled.

"That's right...he's going to watch the _Bludhaven_ movie with Irvine and Zell..." Selphie mumbled unconsciously as she rubbed her chin.

"No way! How did you know!?" Quinn gasped as she suddenly had her face a few inches from Selphie's.

Selphie pulled back and swallowed nervously. "Um...I over heard them in the cafeteria...?"

"Even better!" Cat said. She stood up from her seat on the desk. "Tonight, dedicated members of the Society of Squall, we shall be watching a movie with the god himself!"

"Yeah!!" A series of cheers went around the room as Selphie paled.

'Oh crap...what have I done? Squall is going to KILL ME!'


	18. Going to the Movies

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Eighteen: Going to the Movies_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Almicene's got them all right!! Cat (Catwoman), Ivy (Poison Ivy), Quinn (Harley Quinn: the Joker's girlfriend/partner/lackey/whatever), Talia (Ra Al Ghul's daughter whose love and loyalty is torn between her father and Bruce), and Bludhaven (the city whose vigilante super hero is Nightwing: Nightwing Dick Grayson Original Robin). Thanks to everyone who gave it a shot! Since I'm currently on my comics fix, I'll put in another 5 references here, but from Teen Titans (both comic version). This might be tougher...If they're answered, I promise to update within a week of when someone answers (if not sooner). Remember, it's just for FUN!!!! You guys don't have to respond.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Eh?" Selphie asked. Her emerald green eyes stared at them in shock. "Watch a movie...? With...with SQUALL?"

Cat chuckled and smiled as she looked at Selphie. "I know you're nervous, Stephanie. But don't worry...you won't embarrass yourself in front of him."

'That's not what I'm worried about, you crack head...' Selphie thought to herself. "Is this a good idea? I mean... he's suspecting you...er...us."

"But he doesn't know who we are!" Quinn said cheerfully. "So we won't get caught."

"That settles it, then!" Cat said as she looked at the eager and excited Society of Leonhart members. "The meeting will come to an end now. We shall meet at the movie theaters in Balamb town in approximately and hour and a half! This shall give us all time to look our best for..." Cat let out a content sigh. "Squall..."

"Meeting adjourned!" Ivy said. She stood up and walked over to the dresser. "By the way! Donna and Raven, who were in charge of making tonight's snacks have made these cute little Griever and Lionheart shaped sugar cookies! So help yourselves!"

The girls 'ohhed' as they eyed the cookies on the table and commented on how impressed they were. As the dozen or so girls began to snack and talk to each other as to who was driving, Selphie swallowed nervously and began to head towards the door.

"Stephanie! Where are you going?" a happy voice asked. Selphie made a little squeak and turned around reluctantly. Talia was walking over to her. "Did you have a cookie yet?"

"Uh...NO...no..." Selphie said. She looked around nervously. "Um...I'll have one. Thanks." Talia handed her one shaped like a gunblade. 'Okay...these are kind of freaky...'

"Everyone! Can I have your attention for just a second please!" Cat called out. The girls turned around and Cat held up a hand sized cookie and made Selphie shiver. The sugar cookie had brown sprinkles with two large blue M&M eyes. They were shaped like Squall's head. "I just wanted to show everyone what Donna and Raven made for the cabinet members. It almost looks just like him and..." She bit into the cookie and allowed her eyes to roll back. "Mmm...! Just like the real thing! DELICIOUS!"

The girls laughed and clapped as Selphie stared at them. 'Oh, Hyne...that's practically PSYCHOTIC." As she stood by the doors, the girls began to trickle out. Selphie managed to squeeze through them and headed down the hall. She HAD to warn the others.

* * *

"What?" Irvine asked as he turned around and looked at Selphie, who was sitting on his bed and nervously playing with her hands. "You want us to bring the whole gang? Why?"

"Because of the club members, Irvy!" Selphie pleaded. "We can't let them stalk Squall!"

Irvine sighed and ran his hand through his unbound hair. "Selphie, what do mean? Are you saying that they're going to follow me, Zell, and Squall to the movies?"

"Yes!" Selphie exclaimed. "AND sit behind you guys and WATCH. You know Squall is going to go nuts when he finds out! And they he'll find out that I'm the one who accidentally spilled the beans! And then I'm DEAD!"

Irvine sighed and nodded. "I got it..." he said. He walked over to his phone and dialed in a number. "Zell? Hey, change of plans..."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to come?" Squall asked as Rinoa smiled weakly behind him. He was holding her hand as they headed out to the garage to get to his car. Rinoa nodded, hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with any of her man's insane fans.

"Uh-huh!" she said cheerfully. "I heard _Bludhaven_ is a great movie! I've been meaning to go watch it anyway." Squall raised an eyebrow as they arrived at his car and he unlocked it with the remote.

"Really?" he said. "I didn't know you were into action movies, Rin..."

"Oh, it's something I've gotten into recently," Rinoa replied as he opened the door for her. She slipped into the leather seat and he closed the door behind her. He walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. "I saw the preview when I went to watch a romantic comedy with the girls a few weeks ago. Apparently one of the actors in the story is playing the lead female role in _Bludhaven_. I think she's going to be the love interest."

"So THAT'S why you wanted to come?" Squall said as they backed out and began to head towards the exit. "I thought it was a little strange why you'd watch an action movie with me and the guys."

"Oh, didn't Irvine tell you?" Rinoa asked innocently. "When he heard I wanted to come, he took the liberty of inviting Selphie, and Zell's bringing Shizuka, and since we were all going, I called Seifer and Quisty and Fujin and Raijin. We're meeting them all there."

Squall sighed. "Great..."

Rinoa chuckled. "What? Upset that you're not having an guy's night out?"

"Hardly."

Rinoa laughed some more and looked out her window. 'Hyne, I hope Selphie knows what she's doing. Squall will go ballistic if he finds out that his stalkers are there. I can't believe Selphie spilled it...' Rinoa rolled her eyes at the thought. 'I'll ask her to give me a full report later.'

Before long, they pulled up to the parking lot before the large cinema in town. Lines were already forming to get tickets and as they approached, Rinoa caught sight of some of their friends. Seifer and Quistis were already talking with the others. "I bought your tickets!" Quistis said as she handed them two slips of paper. She looked at the group.

Squall nodded as Rinoa paid Quistis back. He looked around. "Where is Selphie?" he asked as he turned to Irvine.

The cowboy stiffened and looked around nervously. "Uh...she couldn't make it."

"Aww?" Rinoa frowned, playing along. "Is she feeling okay?"

"Just a tummy ache. She has...uh...gas." Irvine explained. Quistis closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead as Shizuka and Zell looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Rinoa just stared at him.

"Um...okay..." Rinoa said, shaking her head. "Never mind then! Let's go inside and get our seats...does anyone want popcorn?" Rinoa asked weakly as she ushered everyone into the cinema.

* * *

Selphie peeked around the corner from her spot across the street. She could see her friends making their way in. Just a few feet away, buying the last of their tickets, were the members of Squall's fan club. Selphie tugged her jacket tighter around her and checked to make sure her pig tails were in place. She double checked her pocket for her ticket before stepping out and crossing the street.

The first person to see her was Quinn. "Stephanie! Hey! Over here!"

"Hi!" Selphie said, a smile plastered on her face. "Sorry, about that! I had a little something to do before I left."

"That's okay," Ivy said. "Did you get your ticket?"

"I printed them out at home," Selphie said as she held up a slip of paper. "Shall we go?"

"All right ladies!" Cat said as she stood in front of some girls. "Let's not get too excited and scare our precious Squall!"

'Oh, too late...' Selphie thought with a roll of her eyes.

"We shall take a seat behind him. Of course, the Cabinet shall get the seats directly behind our beloved Squall. The rest of you may sit where you please, just stay close!" Cat instructed. The girls all giggled with excitement as they entered.

Selphie was the last one in and the guy who ripped her ticket pointed her in the opposite direction of the others. "What?" Selphie asked.

"Your ticket is for that mob movie, _Blockbuster_," the guy said. "That's number 8 to your left."

"No...my ticket is for _Bludhaven_. That's number 11 to my RIGHT." Selphie stressed. The guy shook his head and pointed at the ticket and thento the left. Selphie grumbled and began to head over there.

"Stephanie! Where are you going? The theater is this way!" Talia called out.

"Uh...I'll be right there!" Selphie lied. "I have to go to the bathroom! I'll find you! Don't worry!" With that, she rushed into the left wing and took a deep breath as she leaned against the wall. 'CRAP! I printed out the wrong ticket! Now what am I going to do!?'

* * *

Rinoa sat in her seat, dead center of the theater next to Squall. The young man already had his arm around her shoulders as he leaned back in his chair. He looked over at her and noticed that she was looking down at the groups of people who were entering, as if waiting for someone to enter.

'Selphie should be with the fan girls...' she told herself as she scanned the crowds.

"Rin?" Squall asked as he looked over. She didn't answer, as she was too busy studying the crowds. "Rin!"

"Huh?" she whirled around, brown hair flying over her face as she saw him. Quistis was sitting to her other side, next to her was Seifer, then Fujin, then Raijin. Next to Squall was Irvine, then Zell, then Shizuka. "Yes?"

"Are you looking for someone?" he asked suspiciously. Rinoa shook her head. "You looked like you were looking for someone."

"Wishful thinking," Rinoa said weakly. "Just wish Selphie were here," 'Hmm...maybe she'll come in later, when the room is dark so that no one will recognize her...yeah...that's it.'

Squall nodded as Rinoa gently patted his thigh. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Rinoa giggled slightly and moved her hand to cover Squall's other one when her purse slipped off her lap.

"I'll get it." Squall said. He lifted his arm off her shoulder. As soon as he did, Rinoa's head was jerked forward by a force that kicked the back of her chair. She winced and turned around.

"Oh..." a red haired girl said distastefully. "Sorry."

Rinoa just shrugged it off and Squall put her purse in her lap and his arm back around her shoulders. "You okay?" he asked as he looked over at her. Rinoa nodded. The lights dimmed and the crowds began to grow quiet as the pre-movie show was starting.

* * *

Selphie checked her watch. The pre-movie shows should've been starting already. She looked around as she casually made her way over to the right wing to theater eleven. She kept a close eye on the workers who were near-by. She especially kept her eyes on the guy taking tickets, just in case he saw her sneaking in and called her out.

As she neared the door, she reached over to discretely pull the handle and open the door, when it flung open, slamming her against the wall and crushing her face. She let out a muffled squeal of pain as Quistis and Seifer came out.

"Why are we watching this movie, anyway?" Seifer asked as they walked out. He had run out of soda before the show even began, so he decided to get his free refill while the pre-movie stuff was showing. "I don't want to watch this crap."

"Seifer, we're doing this to help out our friends," Quistis said. "Do you want Squall to lose his mind completely?"

"At least you acknowledge that it was never there in the first place," Seifer snorted as they got in line. "We were supposed to have a nice dinner tonight and then...you know...go back to the house and..." he trailed off, his tone quite suggestive as Quistis rolled her eyes.

"Seifer, really..." Quistis sighed.

Back to the door, it slowly closed and Selphie stumbled forward, rubbing her nose. "Ow..." she said in a nasally voice. She was about to go in, when an usher stopped her.

"Excuse me, mam, this theater is full. May I please see your ticket stub?" he asked. Mentally, Selphie let loose a string of curses she didn't even know existed.

"Uh...ticket stub...?" she mumbled. She looked around nervously. "Well...um...see...I don't have mine on me!" she piped. She smiled as brightly as she could.

"I'm sorry mam, but no ticket, no entrance. Please step aside." the usher told her.

"But...but...I left it in there!" Selphie said, trying to convince the usher. He shook his head and she groaned. "Fine..." she slowly began to walk away. 'How am I going to get in!? They could be staring at Squall right NOW!'

* * *

"Rin..." Squall whispered in a low voice as he tried to keep his eyes on the screen. "Rin..."

"Wait...she's about to kiss him!" Rin said as she sat at the edge of her seat, her brown eyes fastened on the two people on screen. Squall looked past her and saw Quistis in the same position, with Seifer next to her, apparently sleeping. He turned to his right and saw both Zell and Shizuka on the edge of their seats, attentive to the screen.

Meanwhile, Squall felt that familiar feeling of someone watching him. He could feel over a dozen pairs of eyes boring into the back of his head. It was almost as if someone were behind him, breathing down his neck. Goosebumps washed across his skin as the paranoia set it. 'Okay, Squall... relax...don't think about that. Just concentrate on the movie...'

His blue eyes drifted up to the screen just as the leading man turned around. _"Did you hear that?" _he gasped. _ "Someone's here...they're watching us..."_

Squall let out a quiet groan and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. 'Oh, Hyne...'

Rinoa turned her head just as the villain appeared on the screen. She frowned as she saw Squall shaking his head in his hands. She reached over and leaned close to his ear. "Are you okay?"

"Rin..." he whispered back. "They're HERE."

"Uh...whose here?" Rinoa asked, playing dumb. 'Crap. He knows. Crap. Crap. Crap.'

"You know who!" Squall hissed in a low voice. "Rin, they're watching me!" Rinoa bit her lower lip and looked back at the screen. She really wanted to see if Barbara would find out about Kory's affair with her man.

She looked back at Squall, who was now looking around in a paranoid fashion. She sighed. "Squall, do you want to cut out? Maybe grab something to eat instead?" He threw her a thankful look and Rinoa nearly melted. She took his hand into hers and leaned over to Quistis to tell her they were going to leave. Quistis nodded as the two of them scooted past the group.

Behind them, a group of girls looked up angrily as their main source of entertainment was leaving. Ivy elbowed Cat, who nodded and looked at the other girls. A silent consensus went through the row of girls as they eyed their mortal enemy holding their god's hand as she lead him astray.

One by one, they stood up and headed towards the exit. In the corner of her eye, Quistis caught the movement of a group of girls and narrowed her eyes. 'They must be those crazed fan girls Selphie was talking about...hey...she's in my class!' Her body stiffened and she looked over at Seifer, who was sleeping and leaning on her shoulder. 'Damn...if he weren't sleeping, I'd tail them myself.'

* * *

A usher laughed as he gave his friend a high five. "Yeah, man, I'll be right there! Just let me go change!" He turned the corner and passed the women's bathroom. Just as he passed it, a hand reached out and grabbed his collar. "AH!"

A quiet grunt and low thud were heard from within the bathroom and within a minute, a petite brunette stuck her head outside the bathroom and fixed her little maroon hat as she stepped out into the hall way and proceeded to walk back towards the theater.

'Heh...you're SO SMART, Selphie! Not only will Squall and the people who work here not recognize you, but neither will those Squallies...' Selphie thought to herself proudly. As she headed towards the theater, she casually waved at some other workers, pretending to going in to do something. 'Hehehe...suckers...'

Selphie slipped inside and grinned to herself insanely as she tip toed into the darkened theater. She turned to look up towards the rows and rows of people, trying to find Squall and the others. Behind her, she could hear the gun shots and grunts from the movie. She frowned as she noticed an empty row. Right in front of it were two empty seats that separated Quistis and a sleeping Seifer from Irvine.

She frowned. "Hmm...where are they?"

* * *

"Rinoa, I SWEAR they were right behind us!" Squall insisted as he held her hand tightly and lead her down the street AWAY from the cinema. "I could feel their gaze the whole time."

"Squall, really..." Rinoa sighed. "You're just imagining things. Of COURSE the people behind us were looking forward - the SCREEN is forward."

"Trust me, Rin, they were being entertained, but NOT by the movie!" Squall exclaimed. Rinoa shook her head. "This is insane. At the Garden is one thing but now they're watching me outside of it."

"Maybe we should go back then," Rinoa suggested. "We can sit at home on the couch and watch something. No stalkers."

Squall turned around and looked at her. He gave her a warm smile as he squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Rin..."

"Besides, I don't like sharing you." Rinoa added. She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek before they reached his car.

Four girls looked around the corner as Squall closed Rinoa's door and moved around the car to get into the driver's side. "Oh no!" Quinn gasped. "What are we going to do!? They're leaving!"

"Let's get back to the Garden," Cat said with narrowed eyes. "Our evening's Squall Moment has not yet ended."

* * *

Selphie was sitting on one of the steps when the movie came to an end. She had sat down just to think when she got drawn into the movie. She sniffled as Roy ran out into the field and screamed for his lost friends. 'That's so wrong...it can't end like this! SEQUEL!'

"Selphie?" a voice said above her. Selphie jumped up and saw Irvine smiling at her. "Hey, where were you?"

"I got...uh...held up," Selphie said brightly. She looked over his shoulder as he moved them aside so that other patrons could leave. "Where are Rin and Squall?"

"I think they left like half way through the movie," Irvine said. "Too bad...it was pretty good."

"They went home already," Quistis said as she walked down the steps. Seifer was leaning heavily against her, yawning as his arm draped over her shoulder. "She said that he sensed the Squallies."

"Oh no!" Selphie gasped. She grabbed Irvine's hand. "Irvy! Let's get back to the Garden! They're following them there!"

"Selphie, relax," Irvine assured her. "They'll be safe in their room." Selphie whimpered and began to bite her nails.

"Well...okay," Selphie said nervously. "I just hope that he doesn't find out that I'm the one that told them about this."

* * *

"Hey, Rin..." Squall said as they finally entered the confines of their room. He locked the door behind them after making her sprint through the Garden with him to get away. "How do you think they found me?"

Rinoa froze in her spot as she headed to the bedroom. "Uh...I don't know, honey. It was probably just a coincidence."

"I doubt it. Selphie is on that self proclaimed mission to infiltrate them, isn't she?" Squall asked as he walked past her and removed his leather jacket. "I'll as her."

Rinoa winced. 'Selphie will crack if he asks her...' Rinoa removed her own jacket and went to hang it up next to Squall's. "You know, maybe they over heard you guys talking in the cafeteria or something..." she suggested.

Squall was in the bathroom, wandering around shirtless as he tossed his shirt into the hamper. "Maybe," he said as he walked back out. "I swear, when I find out how they found out, I might just fire someone..." he grumbled as he headed back into the living room. "Creepy girls...undressing me with their eyes..."

Rinoa sighed and walked over to the window to open it. As she did, she looked outside briefly and paused. "What the...?" her narrowed as she covered her opened mouth. "SQUALL!!"

"Rinoa!? What is it!?" he shouted as he rushed into the room.

"There! Out there!" Rinoa gasped as she pointed out the window. Squall immediately ran towards it and pulled the binds apart. He narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"The...there were...out on the lawn!" Rinoa said. Squall shook his head and she ran over. He moved aside as Rinoa grabbed the edge of the window sill and looked outside. "No...I swear! I saw them!"

"Saw WHO?" Squall asked. Rinoa took a deep breath and looked back at him worriedly.

'No, Rinoa...don't tell him! Squall's already paranoid as it is. Besides, even if they were SeeD cadets, there was no way they could run and hide that quickly...' Rinoa smiled weakly. "Nothing...I just thought I saw some spiders outside! Heh...hehehe..."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "All right..."

With that he slowly turned around and headed back to the living area. Rinoa looked back at the window and narrowed her eyes. 'The Squallies were watching me...'.

* * *

Next Time: Rinoa feels someone watching her, too, but not for the same reason. Will Selphie be able to disband the Squallies or will Rinoa be their victim? Plus more pointless randomness. 


	19. Hunting Rinoa

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Nineteen: Hunting Rinoa_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Once again Almicene identified the Teen Titan references in the last chapter. Here are the answers: Roy - Roy Harper, Green Arrow's sidekick; Barbara - the original Batgirl, now known as the Oracle, Dick Grayson's love interest; Raven - half demon/half human; Donna Troy - Wondergirl; Kory - Alien, Dick's love interest who he almost marries, to those who watch the cartoon, she's better known as Starfire.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

Squall's eyes opened tiredly. As usual, he woke up before his alarm clock rang. He turned his head to the side and raised an eyebrow when he realized that he was alone in bed. He sat up and looked around the room. "Rin?" he called out with a yawn. He stretched his arms over his head and slid his legs over the edge of the bed.

He turned his head and saw a note on his night stand. He picked it up and read it. Satisfied with the note - apparently Rinoa woke up early and couldn't get to sleep, so she took Angelo and Demona for an early morning walk - he put it down and headed for the shower.

* * *

"Hmm..." Rinoa frowned as she walked through the ankle high grass around the Garden. The morning mist had barely lifted when she woke up and decided to begin her little investigation. Dressed in jeans, boots, and Squall's limited edition "I love Mokona" sweat shirt that Irvine gave him one Christmas, she took her dogs and headed outside.

Angelo sniffed around close by while Demona, still on a leash, frolicked around the area. 'Hmm... the grass is too short for them to hide in. But how could they have made it out of my sight in such a short time?'

Thoughtfully, Rinoa looked up at the Garden and began to count up several stories until she found Squall's bedroom window. She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the exact window that she had been looking down from that night. She looked around. There was a tree line further away, but she still didn't think that they could get there and hide from her in that short a time.

'Freaky...' Rinoa thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard barking. She turned and jogged towards Angelo. She was barking at something on the ground. "Let me see, girl..."

"Woof!" Angelo stepped aside and Rinoa knelt down. She narrowed her brown eyes as she lifted up a small slip of folded paper.

She opened it up and frowned. It was part of the official "Society of Leonhart" stationary. She could tell from the embossed Griever head with the words 'Fiat Squall' below it in Old English. But what got her attention was the notes scribbled on the paper in what was obviously women's writing.

_8 am - Walks dogs.  
9 am - Breakfast.  
10 am - 12 pm - Off Garden Premises.  
12 pm - Lunch.  
1 pm - 3 pm - Off Garden Premises.  
6 pm - Dinner.  
12:30 am - Sleep. _

Rinoa's eyes went wide. "Wait a second...aside from me, Selphie is the only other person with a dog to walk. But she's working at the Garden during those times...I'm the one whose not at the Garden..." The piece of paper slipped from her hands. "Oh my Hyne..."

* * *

Rinoa slapped the piece of paper on the table and slumped down on the seat across from Selphie, Quistis, and Fujin. They were all sitting there, helping Fujin put together her wedding favors. As Quistis calmly filled the glass wine glasses that had Fujin and Raijin's names, the wedding date, and soft clouds laser etched inside of them, she glanced over at the paper.

"What's that?" she asked simply.

"It's a schedule," Rinoa stated. "MY schedule."

"Why would we need your schedule?" Selphie asked as she filled the glasses half way with golden jelly beans. Quistis was putting the top layer of white jelly beans into the glass and Fujin finished it off by covering it with dark red taffeta and tying it with a white ribbon.

"You don't, but look what it's written on!" Rinoa said, pointing to the seal of the lion in the corner.

"Griever?" Fujin said. "Squallies?"

"Yes!" Rinoa sighed, exasperated. "Why would THEY want MY schedule!?"

"Beats me," Selphie said. "They wouldn't even speak your name at the meeting."

Rinoa paused and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean...?" Selphie froze and smiled weakly. She swallowed nervously as she put down one of the glasses.

"Okay...um...you might want to sit down for this..." Selphie told her. In the next few minutes, she would give a detailed report on the Squallie's meetings.

Thirty minutes later, a furious "WHAT!?" echoed through the Garden.

"Rinoa! Calm down!" Quistis gasped as the furious female shot up from her seat. Rinoa's hands turned to fists at her sides as anger coursed through her body.

"Rinoa..." Fujin said in a calm voice. "Rinoa, not helping." Almost immediately, Rinoa calmed down. She was still angry, but looked down at her three friends who were all still busy working on the favors for Fujin's wedding.

She let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, Fujin..." she said. "Ugh!" she fell back on to her seat. "What am I going to do? Yeah, I kind of figured they hate me...I didn't know they had a whole part of their meeting for Rinoa bashing..." she grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But that still doesn't explain the why they have my schedule!"

"Keep track?" Fujin suggested.

"But if they don't like Rinoa, why would they even bother keeping track of her?" Selphie said as she started on another glass.

Quistis stopped and looked up. "Rin..." she said in a serious voice as she looked up at the younger female. "Do you think that they're stalking you?"

The sorceress looked down as she slowly picked up some white jelly beans and popped them in her mouth one by one. She nodded. "Yeah...but I don't think it's for the same reason that they're stalking Squall..."

"Rinoa, maybe you should be more careful from now on," Quistis said, concerned. "I don't like where this is going."

"Listen, I know they don't LIKE me, but I mean...they wouldn't like...try to hurt me or anything would they?" Rinoa asked. She looked around nervously and found that the other girls looked away.

"Well...they did follow Squall to the movie theater..." Selphie said softly.

"And stole his clothes..." Quistis added reluctantly.

"Hate you." Fujin stated.

"Oh, no way..." Rinoa said with wide brown eyes. They quickly narrowed. "If those stalking bimbos even TRY to get me out of Squall's life - by any means necessary, they're going to get a first hand look at why sorceresses are feared!"

With that, she tilted her head back and ate the rest of the white jelly beans in her hand before standing up and exiting the loft in the library. "Hmm..." Quistis said as she looked down at the glass bowl. "We're going to need more white jelly beans."

* * *

"Stupid little idolizing stalking freaks..." Rinoa grumbled to herself as she walked down the stairs. 'Just who do they think they are? How dare they pull something like this! Wait...calm down, Rin... they haven't done anything yet. It's not like they pulled some hate crime against you...' With that thought in mind, she relaxed some what.

Shaking her head at her own paranoia, she headed for Squall's office. She decided that she would not tell him about her suspicions. After all, they were just guesses. She approached on the sliding doors and waited for it to open. It didn't.

"What the...?" Rinoa knocked on the door. 'That's weird...these doors are all automated...It should've opened for me...' She stepped back and approached the door once more. It didn't open. "What's going on?"

She walked over to the door and slammed her fist against it. "Hello!?" she shouted. "Short circuit?" She turned around and suddenly, another barrier slammed down from the ceiling, closing off her exit. "What the!?" She stumbled back to the middle of the small enclosure and saw the security camera in the corner. "Hey!" she shouted as she jumped up and down, trying to get at the attention of whoever was on security duty. "HEY!"

Behind her she began to hear a quiet wheezing. She turned around and her brown eyes went large. "You've got to be kidding me..." she mumbled. Rinoa fell back against the wall as a thin stream of hazy white smoke filtered into the room. She began to cough. "What is this!?"

She fell on her hands and knees, choking on the smoke, before falling completely unconscious on the ground.

"Great job, Ivy," a voice said through a walkie-talkie on the other side of the wall. "We'll get that corridor screened and as soon as the barricades lift, you and Talia drag her out. We'll be waiting for you in the you-know-where."

A tall woman loomed over a series of screens as she smirked and looked over her shoulder. Behind her a happy blonde finished tying up an unconscious Nida against a wheeled office chair. "All done!"

"Good job, Quinn," Cat said as she finished having the air ducts suck up the sleeping gas from the room before she lifted the barricades. "Let's get down to the lower garage." she smirked deviously as she turned around. She and the blond headed out the door and locked it.

Back on the screens within the security room, the red head and the brunette looped their arms around Rinoa's shoulders and dragged her away. Just as they vanished behind the service elevator doors, Squall walked around the corner, a manila folder opened in his hand as he read it. He stopped at the exact place where Rinoa had fallen and looked around.

He narrowed his ice blue eyes. He sniffed the air. "Why does it smell like car air freshener here?"

* * *

Her head was thumping as she opened her eyes slowly. As she lifted her eye lids, a bright light flashed and she winced and shut them closed once more. "Ugh..." she moaned out. She tried to open her eyes again, ignoring the pounding in her head.

"So...she finally awakes..." a mocking voice said.

Rinoa narrowed her blurred eyes. "What's going on?" she groaned. "Where am I?" She attempted to sit up, only to find that she was tied down on a bench. Her eyes went wide. "What the hell!?"

"You'll find that you can't get up," a voice on her left told her matter of factly. "Trust me."

"Right...are you forgetting what I am?" Rinoa snorted. She winced, trying to ignore the head ache. "I'm a sorceress."

"I was hoping you'd bring that up," said the girl with the black hair. "Talia! Bring them out!"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes as the black haired girl stepped aside. A brunette walked out holding a pet carrier. A red head opened it up and a blond urged out a dog. Rinoa's eyes went wide. "Angelo!" she shrieked. "Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Actually, she has everything to do with you, therefore she HAS something to do with this," Cat snickered. "Ivy, the shaver."

A buzzing noise was heard as the red head revealed an electric shaver. "No!" Rinoa yelled. "Angelo has show dog fur! I spend tons to get her fur that good! You wouldn't DARE!"

"Ivy..." Cat said calmly. Ivy smiled and brought the shaver closer to a whimpering Angelo.

"NO!" Rinoa screamed.

"Hmm...I knew that would get your attention," Cat said. "Now...if you don't comply with us, say bye-bye to your dog's precious fur."

* * *

"Has anyone seen Rinoa?" Squall asked as he approached the group that was sitting in the cafeteria. He put his tray down and looked at Selphie, Irvine, and Zell. "I haven't seen her all day."

"Maybe she had something to do at the studio." Irvine suggested as he bit into a hamburger.

"No, I called Seifer at the studio and he said she wasn't scheduled to come in this week," Squall explained. "Selphie, is she helping Fujin with the wedding or something?"

"Uh-uh," Selphie replied. She swallowed part of her salad. "She came upstairs while we were putting together the favors, but then she left."

"Maybe she went to walk the dogs." Zell suggested as he squeezed some condiments onto his hotdog.

"Maybe..." Squall mumbled. "I'm sure she's fine...after all, she can take care of herself and it's not like anyone here hates her."

Irvine and Zell nodded as Selphie stopped moving her croutons around her plate. "Uh...right..." Selphie said as she slowly pushed her tray away from her. "Well, I'm full-"

"Full?" Irvine asked. "Selphie, we barely began dinner-"

"I gotta go!" Selphie said as she stood up and headed towards the exit. "Talk to you guys later!"

Before they had a chance to stop her, she took off. Zell looked up from his meal. "Hey...where'd Selphie go?"

'Crap!' Selphie thought to herself as she ran straight to the library. 'They wouldn't have! COULDN'T have! Wait...where am I going? AH!!' Selphie slid to a stop and took a deep breath. "Okay, Selphie... relax...breath...you can't go to Quisty and Fujin, they're still working on the favors...besides you don't know what happened for sure, YET."

Just as she said that, she heard tumbling and a muffled yell from around the corner. Fearing the worst, she took off and skidded to a stop before one of the stairwells. Sitting with his legs tied to the base of the chair and his hands tied behind his back, was Nida. He laid on his back, feet in the air as he was still attached to the rolling office chair.

"Whew..." Selphie said with relief. "It's just you, Nida..."

"Mmmmph!" Nida said as he wiggled in his chair.

"All right, all right...you're so impatient..." Selphie sighed. She bent down and untied Nida, going to remove his gag LAST. "What happened?"

"These girls attacked me!" Nida gasped. "They were crazy! They came into the security room and all of a sudden, put a white cloth over my mouth and I was out. When I woke up, I was like this!" He said indicating his situation. "I've been stuck in that damn office forever and when I finally do bust out, I roll down the stairs!"

Selphie's eyes went wide. "Nida, who attacked you?"

"These girls-"

"How did they LOOK LIKE!?" Selphie insisted as she grabbed the collar of Nida's uniform top and shook him.

"It's all hazy! There was this black haired girl and some blond-"

"Cat and Quinn!" Selphie gasped, dropping him like a rock. "OhmiHyne! They're watching Rin!" She shoved him away and raced up the stairs to the security room.

She ignored the broken door as she ran through and quickly began to flip through all the security cameras. Rinoa had to be in ONE of them. The only places where there weren't any were in people's dorm rooms, bathrooms, and locker rooms. As she flipped through the cameras, the center screen caught the sight of two girls leaning over and holding something down.

Selphie moved the camera around to focus on that corner and let out a gasp. "RIN!" she gasped. She dug her cellular phone in her pocket and pulled it out. She immediately sped dialed Irvine. It rang. It rang again. Selphie tapped her food impatiently. It rang once more. "C'mon Irvy..." she mumbled.

"Hi," a deep voice said. Selphie rolled her eyes. "This is Irvine. I'm busy, but not too busy to hear from my favorite lady. So leave your message and your all important number and I'll definitely get back to you. Love you."

Selphie groaned as she snapped the flip phone closed. "He better pray that I'm the only girl who calls his phone..." she grumbled as she shot out of the room. "I gotta save, Rin! Wait! But HOW? They'll know who I am if I do!"

* * *

"Wait...let me get this straight..." Rinoa said with a frown. "You want me to do WHAT?"

Standing in front of her, the executive committee of her boyfriend's stalker club was looking at her, almost nervously, as they awaited her answer. The president named Cat coughed slightly as she stepped forward to repeat their demands. "Can you..." she took a deep breath and the other girls gave her encouraging looks. "Can you put Squall in your next video...shirtless?"

Rinoa stared at them with disbelief. "You capture me in a hallway. Gas me unconscious. Kidnap my dogs and threaten to shave them...all so you can request that Squall is shirtless in my next music video?"

"Well...yeah..." Ivy said. "What did you think? That we were going to torture you or something?"

Rinoa just continued to stare. "But don't get us wrong," Cat said sternly. "We don't LIKE you or anything."

"But the only time we've seen Squall smile is when he's with you," Talia added. "And if we did do something to you, Squall would never smile his godly smile again."

Rinoa thought for a moment and nodded. "He does have a great smile, doesn't he...?" she mused. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll try to get Squall to be shirtless in my next video. I'll do you one better, IF you do something for me."

"What exactly is one better?" Quinn asked suspiciously.

"Just trust me on it," Rinoa assured her. "Stop stalking Squall. He hates it. He knows you're watching him. Do you want him to hate you girls? If he finds out who you all are, he might expel you."

"You're not going to tell him, are you!?" Quinn gasped. "You can't! My dad will KILL me if I don't graduate from the Garden!"

"Quinn, shush!" Cat snapped. The blond looked down nervously. Cat looked at Rinoa. "If you can deliver, we'll stop having our 'Squall moments'."

Rinoa nodded. "I'm going to take your word for it," Rinoa agreed. "But if it keeps bothering him, I will tell him. I love him."

"We all do," Cat said. "Talia, untie her. Ivy, give her the dogs."

The two girls did as they were instructed and Rinoa was released. Ivy handed her Angelo and Demona, who was still whimpering in her pet carrier. Rinoa checked to make sure they were okay and the girls left. The only left there with her was the blond named Quinn.

Rinoa looked up. "Yes?" she asked, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Umm..." Quinn said nervously. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her friends had turned the corner. She reached behind her and pulled out a CD jewel case. Rinoa instantly recognized it. "I know this is really stupid, but do you think you can...um..."

Rinoa looked at the CD with her face plastered on the cover. She sighed. "This day gets even more unbelievable as it passes..." Quinn's face dropped and Rinoa took the CD from her hands. "Got a pen?"

* * *

"For all I know, they could be shaving poor Angelo as we speak!" Selphie said, freaking out as she told Shizuka, Fujin, and Quistis, who were almost done with the favors.

"Selphie, are you serious?" Quistis asked.

"You've seen what they've done!" Selphie gasped. "They've stolen his things! They've stalked him! Now they're going to shave his dogs and kidnap his girlfriend!"

"I think that Rinoa his fine, Selphie." Shizuka said quietly as she finished placing the last of the favors into a cardboard box.

"Fine? FINE?" Selphie nearly shrieked. "HOW CAN YOU SAY SHE'S FINE!?"

"Behind you." Fujin asked coolly. Selphie whirled around and saw Rinoa walking up the stairs to the loft.

"RIN!!" Selphie screamed. Rinoa looked up and her eyes went wide as Selphie hugged. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you!? What about the dogs!? HYNE, ARE THE DOGS OKAY!?"

Quistis shook her head. "I knew we shouldn't have let her eat all those jelly beans..."

"Selphie, I'm fine. The dogs are fine," Rinoa said. "But I have to talk to you."

"Of course, Rin," Selphie said. "You're going through a hard time right now...if that happened to me, I would want to talk. I'm all ears."

Rinoa looked at her strangely before nodded. "I need to talk to you about the next music video...I think I found a way to give Squall some...piece of mind."

* * *

Next Time: Selphie and Rinoa conceive a plan to save Squall's sanity. Meanwhile, the Squallies lay low as they await the music video's release. No music video, just behind the scenes stuff. 


	20. Asking Squall

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty: Asking Squall_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Sorry it took so long...this is a relatively uneventful chapter. ;; Sorry it's boring, but I'll write more before this year (2004) is over! At least one more chapter...

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Are you sure you can get him to do it?" Selphie asked as Rinoa sat on the edge of the shorter brunette's bed. "I thought he didn't want to be in another video."

"Don't worry about that, Selphie," Rinoa said reassuringly. "I'm his angel. He'll cave if I ask him enough."

Selphie wrinkled her nose. "Okay...but are you sure you want to do this? I mean...after those girls kidnapped you and threatened to shave Angelo and Demona?"

Rinoa nodded. "I admit, I was a bit peeved at first..." she began calmly. Selphie looked at her funny.

"Peeved?" Selphie asked, recalling Rinoa's outburst when she mentioned the Rinoa Bashing segment of the Squall fan club. Rinoa blushed and smiled nervously.

"Okay, so I was pissed off. But still," she asserted. "If they're willing to back off Squall, then I'm willing to display his body. And it's a great body to be displayed, by the way."

"You know that if Squall finds out, he'll be furious." Quistis said as she stood in front of a full length mirror, looking at how the bride's maid dress looked on her. It was a dark blue color, bringing out her sapphire eyes.

"I know, I know," Rinoa nodded. "Which is WHY you guys can't SAY anything!" Rinoa insisted. "Besides, he'll only be mad for a little while if he finds out." she added quietly.

"Enough talk," Fujin said as she stomped out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy white dress. "Ugly!" she stated with an annoyed pout.

"Whoa...Fujin, I thought you were going to get a...well...simpler dress?" Selphie said as the three other women stood up and stared at her. Fujin nodded.

"It's simple," Fujin explained. "Others fluffier."

"Yeah, MAYBE if you were the Queen of Esthar," Quistis sighed. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Wedding is in less than a week...how are we going to get a dress in time?"

Rinoa was staring at the dress. Fujin looked trapped in armor made of white satin and lace. It was sleeveless, but had large puffy shoulders. It was tight to Fujin's fit slender body and flared out at her waist into a full skirt. She didn't even bother putting up the gloves and was still bare foot. It was a gorgeous dress, but didn't do Fujin any justice. "I KNEW we should've gone with you..." Selphie mumbled.

"Hey, what's underneath it all?" Rinoa asked suddenly. Fujin looked up from where she was holding up part of the skirt distastefully.

"Me?" Fujin asked. Rinoa shook her head and walked over.

"The material...what's underneath it...?" Without hesitating, she grabbed a hand full of wedding dress and lifted up a few layers. She found a metallic pearl white underlayer. "Hmm...take it off for a second."

Fujin looked at the other two, who nodded. She scuttled back to the bathroom and a few seconds later came out in a white robe holding a mass of white cloth behind her. She handed it to Rinoa, who threw it over the bed. "Well?" Fujin asked wondrously.

Rinoa walked over to the head of the bed where the top of the dress was and looked over the sleeves and bodice. "I see..." she said thoughtfully. "I'll fix it."

"Wait a second, Rinoa," Quistis said, sensing Fujin's alarm next to her almost immediately. "That dress is over a thousand gil! You can't just 'fix' it!"

"Remember that time you tried to make costumes from you and Squall for the Garden Masquerade?" Selphie piped up nervously. "You tried to make an angel and devil costume for you two and when Squall bent down, his pants ripped. Not to mention that one of his shirt arms was shorter than the other and the shirt was too big for him. Your white dress was a white sheet with a hole at the top-"

"Okay, okay! I get your point!" Rinoa pouted. "But I LEARNED from last time! I know I can do it this time."

"Why don't you practice on something else first?" Quistis suggested. "If you damage that dress, we won't be able to fix it in time...if at all..."

"Trust me!" Rinoa insisted. She looked at the wedding dress once more. "Look, if we take out the puffy shoulder things and remove the full skirt, there's a simple dress that will look GREAT on Fujin."

"Rinoa," Quistis said, using her 'Instructor Trepe' voice. "This is serious. This isn't a doll's clothing, it's Fujin's wedding dress."

"Well, Fujin, what do you think?" Rinoa asked, not appealing to the actual bride. "If it doesn't come out, good, I'll PAY for your entire wedding."

Selphie looked surprised and Quistis looked worried. Fujin's eye was open wide. "Everything?" she asked unsurely. Rinoa nodded.

"The cake, the clothing, the rentals, even the priest's fee - EVERYTHING," Rinoa told her. "Even a new wedding dress. But I SWEAR I can do this."

Selphie bit her lower lip. "Give her a chance," Selphie said. "She looks so eager. And maybe she did learn from the masquerade disaster."

"I did learn...masquerade DISASTER?" Rinoa asked.

"It's your call, Fujin," Quistis told the white haired woman. "What do you think?"

Fujin looked hesitant. Her eye drifted from Rinoa to the dress and back to Rinoa. Slowly she nodded. "One try," she said solemnly. "Or pay."

Rinoa let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Thanks! Trust me, Fujin! This is going to look GREAT on you!" She gathered up the dress in her arms and headed for the door. "I'll working on it right away. I'll bring it right back to you as soon as I'm done!"

Rinoa let out a giggle and rushed out the door. Quistis crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Fujin..." Quistis said.

Suddenly Selphie let out a yell. "Crap! She's still wearing the bride's maid dress!"

* * *

'Hehehe...silly Quistis...I've come a long way from the masquerade incident...' Rinoa thought to herself with a grin. As she ran through the hall way clutching the dress. As she turned the corner, she caught the fleeting leather clad backside of everyone's favorite Garden employee. "Squall!"

The brunette's head lifted up and he turned around, the manila folder closing in his hands as he offered her a smile. He lifted his left hand to greet her as she diverted from her original path way to meet him. His somewhat pleased look turned into a confused one as his blue eyes went up and down her body. "Rin...what are you wearing?"

"Hmm?" she asked blissfully as she kissed him on the cheek. Fujin's dress was pinned between them as Rinoa grinned. She looked down at her clothing and blushed. "Oh crap! I forgot to take off the dress!"

"Fujin's brides maids' dresses came in today?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded as she stepped back and wrinkled her nose.

"Geez, I have to go back and give it to them..." she sighed as she studied the dark blue dress that was a tube top that clung to her upper body and flared out at her waist. In her haste, she had forgotten that she was still wearing her black bra and it could be seen.

Squall looked around nervously, trying to keep his eyes off the obvious straps. "Um...maybe you should go change first?"

"It'll be a second, baby," Rinoa said as she reached up and kissed him once again. "Are you going to your office?"

"Yes, I-"

"Great! I'll be there in a few!" Rinoa turned around and dashed back up the hall, leaving Squall standing there.

He let out a heavy sigh. "I was just going to drop these off..." he mumbled as he lifted up the folder in his hand. He shook his head and turned around, heading back to his office. Less then ten minutes later, his door flew open as an out of breath brunette rushed in. She leaned heavily against the door way as she smirked triumphantly. "Are you okay...?"

"Squall, I have a proposition for you." Rinoa began.

She closed the door behind her, and suddenly Squall felt trapped. He found his eyes roaming around the room, trying to find another way out as his beautiful girlfriend stalked towards him with predatory eyes. Squall swallowed nervously. 'This can only lead to bad things...' his mind chanted. Rinoa gave him her sweetest smile and all the color drained from Squall's face. 'Bad, bad things...'

"Good news!" Rinoa said as she hopped on the front of his desk. She leaned towards him, exposing the generous scoop neck cut of her shirt. The warning signals went up in Squall's head. "Selphie is finishing up working on my new video."

Squall struggled to keep the horror hidden. 'Oh crap.'

"I know you really don't want to do a video, so I'm really glad you said you'd do this one," Rinoa said with a beaming smile. "I just have to ask you to do one more thing..."

His hands tightened on the arm rests of his comfy leather chair as his heart rate started to speed up. 'I don't like where this is going...'

Rinoa gave him a pleading look that would've melt normal men. "Will you go shirtless in my video?"

"..." Squall let her words echo in his head. 'Shirtless...video...shirtless video...'

"Squall?" Rinoa asked after he had not blinked for a minute. Her pleading look started to grow worried and Squall shook himself out of his stupor.

He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Hell no."

"But Squall-"

"No!" Squall said as he stood up. His hands slammed on his desk, making Rinoa jump back a bit and let out a tiny squeak. "Rinoa, you saw what happened after your last video where I was fully clothed. We had to change our phone line several times AND I have stalkers-"

"But-"

"No buts!" Squall insisted as he began to pace behind his desk. "I don't want to sound vain, Rin, but I don't want to have to go through all that again. I said that I'd be in your video because I thought I would be clothed-"

"You will be-"

"A strip of cloth around my waist is NOT what I call being clothed." he insisted.

"I never said it would be a strip of cloth!" Rinoa exclaimed as she stood up and put her hands on her waist. "I just said that you won't be wearing a shirt." she corrected him.

Squall let out a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "No, Rin. I'll be in your video ONLY if I'm clothed."

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "But Selphie put a lot of work into this-"

"Then make her do some more, I don't care," Squall spat out. "I'm not running around half clothed."

"You make it sound so horrible!" Rinoa sighed as she threw her arms in the air. Through their arguing, they couldn't hear someone knocking on the door. "It's not like I'm asking you to strip, get on your hands and knees, and pant like a dog!"

"Oh...um..." a surprised voice said from the door way. The couple within turned around and saw Zell standing there red faced. His blue eyes were wide as they darted nervously from Rinoa to Squall. "Uh...did I come at a bad time?" he asked weakly.

Squall let out a low growl. "Not now Zell!"

Zell nodded furiously. "Right! Right...sorry! I'll...um...I'll come back later - NO...TOMORROW. I'll come back then!" he stammered nervously as he slinked back out. "TOMORROW." he stressed.

The door closed behind him and Squall let out a frustrated groan. "Listen, Rinoa," he began again as stood behind the desk. "Either I'm fully clothed or I'm not going to be in your video."

Squall barely noticed the flash of anger that crossed Rinoa's face as her brown eyes narrowed. 'He better not be challenging me...so help me, Squall...if you're challenging me...' she thought to herself as she slowly began to go around the desk. "Squall..." she began in a threatening voice.

"I am NOT parading around half naked!" Squall insisted as she rounded his desk. "And that's FINAL." Her hand shot forward and Squall felt himself being pushed back against his chair. He stumbled back and landed in the soft cushions as Rinoa loomed over him.

"YOU'RE going to be IN my VIDEO," Rinoa stated sternly. "Even if you are butt freaking naked! UNDERSTAND!?"

"I...uh...um..." Rinoa's brown eyed glare bore into him and Squall finally let out the heavy sigh of giving in. "All right..." he mumbled tiredly. "I'll do it...just...just don't over do it, all right?"

Immediately, her eyes widened and she let out a squeal of joy as she sat herself down on his lap. "I knew you'd say yes!" she cooed as she kissed his lips.

'It's not like you gave me much of a choice...' Squall thought to himself as he eagerly returned her affection. 'Why can't I ever say no to her?'

"Thank you," Rinoa gushed once again as she kissed Squall on the cheek. "You won't regret it! I promise!"

'Yeah, I've heard THAT before...' Squall thought to himself as he let out a heavy sigh. "This won't take long, right?"

"I'm not sure yet," Rinoa admitted as she pulled away from him, but remained firmly seated on his lap. "See...Seifer doesn't know what the video's about so he hasn't booked anything yet...except for some rooms in the Garden."

"Great...so you don't have this planned out."

"YET, Squall, YET," Rinoa stressed. She kissed him on the cheek once more before moving her feet back on the floor and standing up. "But I REALLY appreciate you to doing this for me."

Squall nodded and looked back at the paper work that was now scattered over his desk. "I just hope I don't live to regret this..."

"You won't! Don't worry so much," Rinoa said as she gently fingered his hair as she leaned against the side of his chair. "It'll be completely PG-13. I swear!"

Squall nodded aimlessly once again as he stacked some papers up. "So what exactly am I supposed to do?"

* * *

"Selphie..." Squall said calmly as he stood in front of the petite green eyed brunette. "Are you insane."

Selphie merely gave him a dull look. She looked over her should and screamed "RIN!! He's doing it again!"

"Ugh! Now what?" Rinoa frowned as she looked up from setting the center pieces on tables in the ballroom. Squall was leaning against a column as Selphie tried to tell him what he would be doing for Rinoa's video. Behind her, Rinoa and the others were helping set up the reception area for Fujin's wedding, which would take place the next day.

Squall looked over at her. "Explain to me why it's necessary for my wrists and ankles to be chained."

"I told you, it's my VISION!" Selphie insisted. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. "Okay...here's how it's going to go down. The video revolves around a good-bye story."

Squall squinted at her with disbelief. "How did you get that? It's just a music video-"

"Just a music vid...RIN!"

"This is going no where..." Squall grumbled. "Listen, just tell me what to do when we're shooting." He stepped past Selphie and headed towards the main doors.

"Sorry, Selphie," Rinoa said as she put place cards on to the white linen. "I'm sure he'll be better come shooting."

"I hope so...his negatively is like a vortex of depression sucking the life out of my vision..." Selphie said with a frown.

"Don't worry, darlin'," Irvine said as he past her carrying several flower arrangements to be placed by the door way. "You have a way of making everything perfect."

He kissed her cheek as he passed and Selphie grinned. "Yeah...I do, don't I?" She giggled and headed over to the table. "Okay, so what can I do to help?"

* * *

"Ah! Eww!" Rinoa let out a laugh as she tossed her head back. "Whoo! Good idea, Fujin!" She, Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Shizuka laughed as Quistis ran her hand down her face, wiping off the remains of the cake. Across from her Seifer was letting out a series of swears as he looked down at his stained tuxedo in disgust. Squall had a pleasant smirk on his face as he watched the two newly weds quickly run from the area.

"I'll kill you!" Seifer shouted as his hand dove into the three tier cake and grabbed a chunk.

"Seifer!" Quistis shouted in shock as he ran through the room, waving a fist full of cake in his frosting covered hands. Raijin and Fujin laughed as they ran around the room, avoiding the Best Man.

"I can't believe they did that!" Shizuka gasped. "It's an interesting twist to say the least."

"See, I told you guys that Fujin's dress would come out great!" Rinoa beamed proudly. "She didn't even want to get it messed up by the cake...so she caked Quistis instead."

"Do you have ANY idea how much it'll cost to DRY CLEAN!?" Seifer screamed as he flew past the table.

Rinoa looked back at Fujin, who was hiding behind Raijin. Her wedding dress was now a slim, body hugging one piece dress. It was a tube top and clung to her body. She had a soft train from the back of her dress down to her feet and long gloves that matched the material of her dress. She had the lacy veil hanging behind her head as the matching eye patch rested over her blind eye.

"I knew you could do it!" Selphie said reassuringly. "Quistis owes me fifty gil."

"You put money on me!?" Rinoa gasped. "Wait...she doubted me THAT much!?"

"Look at it this way," Irvine said as he put down his glass of red wine. "She got a face full of cake."

Rinoa smirked. "Good looking out, Irvine."

"So, Selphie," Zell said as he sat next to his girlfriend, one arm draped around the back of her chair. "Is everything set for the video shoot?"

"Oh yeah," Selphie said proudly. "Tomorrow afternoon, everything will arrive and we'll start early the next morning."

"Looks like you'll be put in the spot light yet again, Captain," Irvine said as he looked over at Squall, he had begun to brood. "Excited?"

Squall merely shot him an annoyed glare. "Whatever."

"Where are you filming it?" Shizuka asked.

"We're filming part of it in one of those rooms reserved for visiting dignitaries and stuff," Selphie informed them. "You know, at the top level. I finally got to check out room yesterday and it's everything I've DREAMED of."

"It was perfect," Rinoa added enthusiastically. "The windows were in the right place. The bed was big and wide. There was enough room for the equipment."

"Bed?" Irvine asked with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm...interesting. What's going to happen exactly?"

"Nope, can't tell you!" Selphie said cheerfully. "It's a surprise."

"Do we at least get to watch like last time?" Shizuka asked.

Selphie nodded. "Yeah, but only you guys. The room has limited space plus since Squall is running around with a shirt most of the time, I don't want any Squallies breaking in and taking pictures."

Squall nodded and paused. He thought for a moment and frowned. Rinoa looked over at him. "What's wrong, Squall?"

"I haven't...SENSED anyone watching me lately, now that I think about it..." Squall mumbled. "I've been walking through the halls and nothing...no phone calls..."

"What's wrong?" Irvine grinned. "Missing your fans?"

Squall shot him yet another glare. "It's unnerving. Like they're planning something behind my back."

Rinoa nearly choked on the water she was drinking. "Plan? What plan? Why would they plan something?" she began to stammer nervously. Next to her, Selphie slapped her back, trying to get the girl to stop choking. "There isn't any plan!"

Squall looked at her. "I didn't say there was a plan..." he told her. "I said it was like they were planning something."

"They're not!" Rinoa stated rather loudly. Squall raised a suspicious eyebrow. Rinoa smiled weakly. "I'm sure you're just being paranoid...?" His face eased and he nodded.

"You're probably right..." he mumbled. "But don't you think it's strange? First they stalk me, but then suddenly disappear...it's like...they're waiting for something to happen. I just don't know what."

Rinoa merely nodded. 'And I plan to keep it that way.'

* * *

Next Time: Thanks to SQ for suggesting that I might want to keep with Evanescence. I've decided to write a music video to "My Last Breath"; which was actually what I used a year ago when I wrote "ReCreating Hell" and that scene where Rinoa was turned. 


	21. Feeling Vulnerable

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-One: Feeling Vulnerable_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: I used the song "Last Breath", but I'm not going to do a songfic excerpt like last time. It's just been described, sorry guys. Anyway, I hope everyone has a good 2005!!

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

Squall peeked back into the darkened room. Rinoa was sleeping soundly on their king sized bed and Angelo and Demona were out in the living area sleeping. 'It's all clear...' his mind assured him. He slipped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, making his way to the door. 'Just a few more feet...'

"I trust that you'll be joining us for breakfast, oh sneaky one?" Squall slammed into the doorway as he turned his head. He was rubbing the right side of his face as he looked over at Rinoa, who rolled over on their bed.

Two unimpressed brown eyes peered at him through the darkness as Squall mentally cursed himself for not realizing that she was awake. "Just going out for a morning jog..." he trailed off feebly.

"RIGHT," Rinoa said. She sat up in bed, obviously fully awake but for how long now, Squall didn't know. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You weren't trying to run away, were you, SQUALL?"

"No...no, I just wanted to let out some excess energy and go out for a jog-"

"And conveniently miss the first day of shooting, am I right?"

"Yes - I mean NO. NO. Damn!" Squall cursed and sat down on the corner of the bed sloppily. His head hung low as he ran his hand through his thick mass of brown hair. "How long were you awake?"

"Since I felt the bed move and you crawl out of bed," Rinoa grinned. She crawled over behind him and draped her slim arms around his neck. "Did you really think you could get away from me?"

"No..." he sighed. He turned his head to the side and felt her 'good morning' kiss press against his lips. He pulled away. "And for the record, I'm not trying to get away from you. I'm trying to get away from Selphie's music video."

"Ah-hah! So you admit it!" Rinoa shouted as she jumped back. The bed bounced with her movement as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "You WERE trying to run out on us!"

"Oh, come on, Rin? Can you really blame me?" Squall asked tiredly. "I don't want to be paraded around your music video like a piece of..of..."

"Eye candy?"

Squall shot her an annoyed glare. "Meat," he corrected her. Rinoa gave him a lopsided grin. "I read the lyrics to your song and I have no idea how Selphie's video idea is going to work with it."

"Trust her..." Rinoa sighed as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She brought her face up to his. "Besides, you're only shooting for ONE day. After tonight, we won't need you any more. Promise."

Squall let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Let's just get it over with."

* * *

"Whoa...nice room...I didn't know this existed." Irvine said as he let out a whistle. He and Zell looked around the guest bedroom that would be used for the majority of the video.

"Who decorated this?" Zell asked as he hesitantly touched the black drapes that hung from the large canopy bed. "And where did you get all the black cloth?"

"We had a decent budget," Selphie said as she sat on her director's chair, going over her final notes. "Rinoa even put up some money so that we could get all the special effects I wanted."

"How much did all of this cost?" Irvine asked. There was some sort of lighting fixture attached to the large window by the bed and a large wooden picture frame was situated above the head board. However, inside was a blue screen.

"It costs too much if you ask me," Seifer snorted as he looked around the room. There were numerous smaller framed pictures of Rinoa on the tables, dresses, vanity tables, and night stands. Selphie and Quistis had put in their own old perfume bottles, brushes, and Rinoa provided some cheap little trinkets to adorn the dressers and vanity table for use for one particular scene. "I swear, Cid's charging us an arm and leg to rent this room for just one day."

"I thought you said you talked him down..." Quistis said as she stood next to him with an accusing frown.

"I thought so too until I told him about the equipment. Then he asked for some fee just in case we break anything or scratch the floor." Seifer grumbled.

"Hey, Selphie, how come there's a blue screen there?" Zell asked, pointing to the picture frame.

"Oh, well, I have this digitally re-mastered picture of Rinoa and Squall that I'm going to use," Selphie said, her eyes hiding a glint of excitement. "First it's going to be just Rinoa, and then Squall is going to fade into the background and appear behind her."

"Miss Tilmit, everyone is ready for the first scene," one of the camera men said. "If Miss Angel and Mr. Leonhart would come out, we can get started."

"Excellent," Selphie said. She looked over her shoulder. "Squall! Squall, you're up!"

Through the main door to the hall way, Squall entered. He wore a frown on his face as he left the changing room, which was the room next door. Irvine and Zell snickered as they saw him dressed in dark blue satin pants and a matching long sleeve top that was unbuttoned. Immediately, he shot them a glare.

"Don't even START with me." Squall growled in a low voice.

"Okay! Squall, in this scene, you just have to lay in the bed with the blankets on and pretend you're having a nightmare. I'll tell you when to go." Selphie instructed.

Squall did has he was told and pulled the sheets up to his neck. Selphie immediately corrected him and reminded him about the shirt. Grumbling and trying to hold back the swear words, he unbuttoned the shirt. She opened her mouth and he shot her his trade mark death glare. "This is ALL you're getting." he hissed.

Selphie smiled weakly and raised her hand up. "Uh...okay...we always have later, right? Heh..." Squall turned around and crawled into the bed.

The cameras were in position and Selphie yelled "action". There was something disturbing about being half naked in bed, spasming around like you were having a nightmare, while a room was filled with a little under a dozen people watching YOU. Selphie yelled out "cut" and Squall immediately stopped.

"Rinoa!" Seifer shouted out the door. "Hurry up! Time is money!"

"I'll time is money you, you impatient little..." a grumbling female voice said. Rinoa appeared in the doorway, wearing a scoop neck lace and ribbon decorated blood red and black dress with a full skirt. She looked into the room and beamed a smile at Squall, who was sitting up in bed. "What do you think?" she asked, directing the question at him.

"You look hot, Rin," Irvine grinned as he gave her a playful wink. "Whatcha wearing under there?"

"An all black corset that's digging into my ribs and probably causing internal bleeding as we speak," Rinoa chuckled. She noticed Squall glaring at Irvine. "Is he behaving?" she asked as she passed Selphie.

"He hasn't killed anyone yet, so yes." Selphie replied. She jumped off her chair and raised her arms in the air. "All right everybody! Will all the visitors step aside! That's you, Irvy."

"Squall," Rinoa said as she walked over to the fuming brown haired male. "Squall, you promised." she stressed with a frown.

He took a deep breath and nodded as Rinoa wrapped her arms around his upper arm as she knelt down by the bed. He looked over at her and frowned. "Your top is low."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Yes, Squall, that's how the dress was designed."

"Can't it be higher?" he asked quietly, unable to really tear his eyes away from his girlfriend's exposed cleavage.

"Too late to change it now!" Selphie shouted. "Squall! Lay back down in the bed and continue what you were doing. But lessen on the arm movements because Rin's going to be just above you and we don't want you knocking out the star."

Squall nodded and laid back down. Rinoa's hands gently guided him back on the bed. Selphie walked over to where they were and positioned Rinoa standing right next to Squall's body, in front of the window. "Just like you told me?" she asked. Selphie nodded and scrambled back to her director's chair. She began barking orders at the camera men and Rinoa quickly bent over Squall. "No matter what I do, just KEEP pretending I'm not here. Keep turning your head from side to side, all right?"

Squall immediately frowned more so. Somehow, her words didn't exactly fill him with confidence. Rather, he felt his heart almost stop and his blood drain from his face as he heard the words of warning. "What are you going to be do-"

"In three!" Selphie's voice cut out.

"Good lucky, baby!" Rinoa said cheerfully as she stood straight up again. Squall nervously closed his eyes.

"Two! One! Action!"

Behind closed eye lids, Squall could hear the music pounding around him. He felt Rinoa's hand caress the side of his face and, although still consciously trying to keep the facade of a nightmare going, unconsciously stops and moves his head closer to her hand. Two warm hands cupped his face and ran through his hair. He tilted his head upwards, his lips parting slightly with each stroke.

"Zoom in! Zoom in!" Selphie was shouting.

'Zoom in on WHAT!?' Squall's mind growled. The music wasn't stopping, meaning they were still filming. Suddenly, Rinoa's hands lifted and he no longer felt them against his head.

"Rinoa, start with the body!" Selphie ordered.

'Body?' Two hands rested on his shoulders and slipped underneath the collar of his pajama top. It took all his power not to jump up. He felt the pressure on the bed change and go down lower. Something brushed over his legs and didn't seem to be getting off. Hands rose up the side of his body, pushing aside both sides of his pajama top and exposing his bare naked flesh.

Rinoa smirked to herself as she felt his body tense up under her hands. She lowered her head and gently kissed his forehead as her hands trailed lower against stone cut abs. "Relax...the scene is almost over..." she whispered softly in his ear before she parted.

He shivered as her breath ran across his cheeks just as one violent tug pulled the unbuttoned top right off his body. "And cut!"

"Thank Hyne!" Squall shouted with as flush as he nearly threw Rinoa off of him as he sat up. Irvine and Zell let out a hoot of laughter as Rinoa squealed and fell over the side of the bed. "Rinoa!"

"I'm okay..." she grumbled as she stood up. She merely shook her head and ran her hand through her dark hair to straighten it. He threw his legs over the bed and reached to help her up.

"You look kind of flushed there, Squall..." Irvine said with a knowing grin. "A little hot under the collar?"

"Selphie!" Squall growled. "I refuse to go any further until anyone who isn't associated with the making of this film is OUT OF THIS ROOM!"

"What!?" Zell gasped. "Dude, we were only joking-"

"Okay, guys," Selphie said as she hopped off her chair once again. "You'll have to leave."

"WHAT!?" Irvine and Zell gasped. "But Selphie-"

"Sorry, guys, but we really need him," Selphie admitted as she ushered them out. Quistis and Zell's girlfriend were already outside. Seifer was allowed to say, as he was Rinoa's manager. The two males who were arguing to stay were shut out behind the wooden doors. Selphie turned to Squall. "Okay, they're gone. It's just us and the crew now. Happy?"

"No." Squall stated.

"Too bad," Rinoa said. She tossed the pajama top over to one of the costume and hair people and stepped off camera for Squall's next scene. "Now get back in bed, Squall! You have a few more scenes there."

Grumbling, the male sat back in bed as a camera was positioned over him. Rinoa grinned and Selphie looked at her written plans. "All right! Squall, here's what you do!"

* * *

"I can't believe she kicked me out!" Irvine gasped as he and Zell sat on the floor, slumped against the door to the room. "ME! Her Irvy!"

"We would still be in there if you hadn't kept cracking jokes on Squall," Zell snorted. "Thanks a lot, Irvine."

"At least you'll still get to see the music video when it's done." Shizuka suggested.

"Pssh! The MUSIC VIDEO!? Who cares about that!?" Irvine gasped. "I was in it to see the behind the scenes stuff! Now how am I going to see Squall feel like an idiot and tease him about it if I don't see him! He needs to loosen up..."

"This sucks!" Zell exclaimed.

Behind them, they heard faint, muffled music starting up again and Irvine frowned even more. "I'm missing it!" Irvine whined. "And this might be the LAST music video that Squall agrees to!"

"I'm sure that's exactly what the Squallies are thinking," Quistis sighed. Her blue eyes shot open. "I mean... once they'll hear about this."

"The Squallies?" Zell asked. "Oh, man, they'll go nuts when they see Squall shirtless spasming on a bed."

"Rinoa is a very lucky woman." Shizuka agreed as she nodded. Zell nodded and paused. He looked up at her.

"What?" he asked weakly.

"Er..." Shizuka froze and blushed. "Hey! You know what? I have to go work now! I'll see you a lunch, Zellie!" She whirled on her heels and tore down the hall.

Quistis raised an eyebrow. 'Talk about avoiding a question...' She looked down at her watch and leaned against the wall. Zell and Irvine continued to grumble about the unfairness of it all. Suddenly, the door opened and Zell fell backwards.

"AH! Hey!"

"Quist-ugh! What the hell is the matter with you, chicken-wuss! Get off my shoes, they're brand new!" Seifer growled as he nearly kicked Zell in the head. Quistis stood up straight as the tall blond male looked over at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Rin said you could come in since you gave us some of the props," Seifer said as he stood between the open space of the door so Zell and Irvine couldn't peek inside. "They're using one of your props right now."

Quistis' face lit up. "You mean they're really going to use the hand cuffs?" she asked cheerfully as she stepped over Irvine and Zell. "I hope he doesn't strain it...you broke our other pair, you know."

The door closed and Irvine and Zell looked green in the face. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that." Irvine mumbled. He looked over at Zell who had a horrified look on his face.

"My virgin ears..." he whimpered. Irvine sighed and ran his hand down his face.

"Hyne..."

* * *

"Squall, come out of the bathroom already!" Rinoa said as she knocked on his bathroom door once again. "It can't be that bad."

"I need more soap!" he shouted from within.

Rinoa frowned and finally threw the door open. "I'm coming in!" she shouted as she stomped into the bathroom. Steam flooded out of the room as she made her way through the hazy room. "Damn it, Squall! Stop being such a baby!"

"Why didn't you TELL me that those were Quistis' hand cuffs! There is only ONE person who she'd use them on!" Squall growled.

Rinoa leaned against the wall next to the shower. She could make out Squall's outline and saw him scrubbing his ankles. "You're over reacting," she insisted. "She said they were brand new."

"The point is that they're already profane!" Squall shouted.

"You've been in there for an hour, Squall! If you stay any longer, you're going to become a lobster!" Rinoa complained. "And you're going to use up the Garden's hot water! Now stop it!"

Squall saw her arm shoot into the shower, past the curtains and head straight for the knobs. She turned off the water and Squall yelled. "Rinoa! I'm not done!"

She gripped the curtain and pulled it apart. He screamed some more even as she threw a towel at him. "Stop complaining," she sighed. "It's been a very uncomfortable day for you. First you had to lay in bed in a room full of strangers with cameras on you, then I had to climb all over you, and then you were hand cuffed."

'I didn't mind when you climbed over me...' his mind mentally answered. He felt arms wrap around his face and he looked down. Rinoa beamed her warmest smile at him and leaned her head against his still damp shoulder.

"Thank you," she said tiredly. "You're the best." His face flushed and he the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

'Some how, you made it all worth it...'

* * *

"Did you get the email?" Ivy said as she sat down in the room.

"That's why you're all here, isn't it?" Cat said as the four of them surrounded television inside one of their rooms.

Talia turned it on and flipped through the channels with a remote. "This better be as good as she promised."

Quinn nodded as the right channel finally appeared on the screen and the announcer began. "And now for the music video from the second debut single of Angel's newest CD," the announcer said. "Directed once again by novice director Selphie Tilmit, we're sure that this video will knock your socks off. And now..._Last Breath_."

"Hello..." The dark screen that echoed with flashes of lightning and darkened silhouettes of an old house shifted to a young man laid across a large soft bed.

The four girls crawled closer to the television as the music flooded the room. The darkened colors were sharp and accentuated every lean muscle on Squall's body as the camera panned over. Blood red nails gripped his shirt and pulled it off, revealing a creamy perfection.

The entire video was mainly of Squall lost in a hallucination of his lost lover played by Rinoa. Rinoa faded in and out of the background like a distanced ghost watching him rampage across the room in madness as he tried to escape the nightmares of her. As his body laid hand cuffed to the bed posts, the climax came as Rinoa's kiss on his neck revealed pearl white fangs that dug into soft flesh. As Squall's eyes widened and stared up at her portrait above his bed, the camera panned away from him and focused on the portrait.

The song ended, the portrait of Rinoa smiled as Squall appeared behind her in the picture. The camera pulled away from the bed, revealing an empty, untouched bed. The ending scene was two people walking down the hall way and disappearing with a flash of lightning.

"How...how was it for you?" Quinn asked quietly as she looked at the other three officers. Like her, they had flushed faces and dilated eyes as a tiny bit of drool was seen trickling from Talia's mouth.

Before any could answer, the phone suddenly rang and the girls jumped. Cat reached over for the phone and lifted up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Did you watch it?" an obviously smug female voice asked.

Cat frowned. "Yeah..."

"A promise is a promise," the female voice said. "I trust it met your standards and more."

"And...and more...." Cat admitted.

"Excellent," Rinoa smirked as she leaned back against Squall's big leather desk chair. "Now, if I ever catch you or hear of you stalking him again, you're out of the Garden. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes...we understand." Cat relented.

"It's been a pleasure working with you." Rinoa grinned and hung up the phone. She chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and put her legs up on Squall's desk.

The door opened and Squall came in with a binder in his arms. He closed the door and gave her a look of question. "Rin, what are you doing here?" he asked as he walked over and put the binder of the desk.

She smiled widely. "Nothing," she said. Squall raised an eyebrow, not buying her words with that Cheshire cat smile on her face. "Just a little business. The video premiered today, you know."

Squall frowned. "Great."

"Oh yeah...it's GREAT."


	22. Rinoa Vampire Slayer Part I

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Two: Rinoa, Vampire Slayer - Part I_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: And so my story without a plot continues on in 2005 with MORE randomness. People have asked to see the Music Video in the same style as the other one...so part of this is the MV. Feel free to skip down to their next adventure! Later!

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

_5 Seconds of electronica_  
Night time scene of an old house while it's stormy outside.

_5 Seconds with drums_  
A scene inside a room where shadows from trees could be seen raging outside and a painting of a Rinoa on the wall just above the bed.

_10 seconds of guitar_  
Squall is in bed, twisting and turning, as if having a nightmare. Scene switches to a woman in black and red lace gown going down a dark corridor; she's appearing and disappearing with the shadows from the lightning. Each time the lightning flashes she disappears. She stops in front of the door and suddenly disappears with a flash of lightning.

_Hold on to me love_  
Rinoa appears, looming over Squall's body as he's having a nightmare.

_You know I can't stay long_  
She reaches down as she sings and caresses the side of his face and he calms down.

_All I wanted to say was _  
Her upper body seems to be floating above him as her hands caress his face and hair.

_I love you and I'm not afraid_  
Her head leans down and kisses his lips softly.

_Oh..._  
Lightning flashes outside and just as she rips his shirt open and disappears. Squall's eyes fly open.

_Can you hear me_  
He sits up in the bed, silhouetted against the lightning from the window to his right.

_Can you feel me in your arms_  
He's breathing unevenly and raises his hand to his lips and touches it. Camera zooms into his dilated eyes and travels through a tunnel of darkness into a memory.

_Holding my last breath_  
He finds himself in the room again, but this time, he's at the door way and looks around.

_Safe inside myself_  
He sees her sitting on the vanity table brushing her hair, as if he's not there.

_Are all my thoughts of you_  
Squall, a horrified and fascinated look on his face, steps forward with his hand extended to touch her.

_Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight_  
His hand reaches her and as he touches her, she vanishes into smoke. Lightning cracks outside and he turns to the window.

_I miss the winter_  
He moves to the window, pushes aside the dark curtains, looks outside at an area covered in white.

_A world of fragile things_  
He sees a female figure walking into the forest just outside the garden.

_Look for me in the white forest_  
Scene cut to Rinoa walking though the forest in a heavy white hooded cloak.

_Hiding in a hallow tree (come find me)_  
She vanishes into the forest just as she turns around and curls her finger at him. Squall's eyes widen.

_You know hear me_  
Shot behind Squall, whose still looking out the window. Rinoa stands and sings from the bathroom doorway and he whirls around.

_I can taste it in your tears_  
He runs towards her as she disappears and looks into the mirror of the bathroom.

_Holding my last breath_  
He freezes in his spot, clinging on to the door way as Rinoa appears behind him.

_Safe inside my cell_  
Her pale arms with blood painted finger nails coil around his upper, shirtless body as she sings.

_Are all my thoughts of you_  
Her head leans against his bare back side.

_Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight_  
She slowly vanishes and Squall turns around.

_Loosing your eyes to disappear_  
He runs into the bedroom, tearing through around he corner.

_You pray your dreams will leave you here_  
As he runs around the room, throwing pictures of her off the shelves, Rinoa sits on the bed patiently singing, but not seen by Squall.

_But still you wait to know the truth_  
Squall throws her things to the ground and looks up at the mirror and sees Rinoa behind him on the bed.

_No one's there..._  
He turns around, but she's not there.

_Say goodnight_  
Squall stumbles on to the bed, not realizing Rinoa is sitting there.

_Don't be afraid_  
He crawls up, looking to the side and not at Rinoa as he collapses on her lap.

_Holding me_  
His arms go around her waist as he closes his eyes.

_Holding me as you fade to light_  
His arms tighten around her as her hand runs through his hair. The focus is on his face.

_Say Goodnight_  
Squall opens eyes his eyes.

_Holding my last breath_  
Rinoa is standing to his side.

_Don't be afraid (safe inside myself)_  
Squall reaches for her, but finds that he's tied to the bed. Rinoa's hand reaches towards him.

_Holding me (are all my thoughts of you)_  
Her hand holds his head steady as Squall tries to struggle against her. She lowers her head down.

_Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight_  
Zoom in on Rinoa's mouth as it opens and reveals fangs and in bed themselves in Squall's neck.

_Holding my last breath_  
Squall's eyes open and stare at the ceiling.

_Safe inside my cell_  
Camera pans from Squall's blank eyes to the painting of Rinoa.

_Are all my thoughts of you_  
Rinoa's painting smiles at him.

_Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight_  
Suddenly, his figure appears in the painting, holding Rinoa in his arms.

Camera pulls away and reveals an empty, untouched bed. Back to the hall way, two figures are walking away and disappear when the lightning strikes.

* * *

"I'm not repeating myself again," Squall spat out as he sat across from Rinoa. "I don't CARE if Selphie wants to go. I don't CARE if it IS her birthday. I am not going with you guys to the ZOO."

"Squall, be reasonable!" Rinoa gasped as she stopped stirring her soup in her bowl and looked at Squall with pleading brown eyes. "It's her birthday! It only comes like...what?'

"Once a year?" Squall asked as he rolled his eyes. Rinoa frowned.

"I don't care what you're saying, Squall. You are coming with us to Deling City to the opening of that zoo whether you want to or not." Rinoa stated strongly.

"Can't I just send her a card or something?" Squall asked, annoyed. "Just buy me a card and I'll even write my name on it this time - myself."

"No, she requested that we ALL go," Rinoa said coolly. She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned forward. "What do you HAVE against Selphie anyway?"

"I don't have anything against Selphie," the young captain replied as he put his spoon down, his soup bowl now empty of it's red tomato based contents. He leaned back against the soft plush chairs of the restaurant they were eating in and sighed. "I have work-"

"It's break." she cut him off quickly. Squall grumbled.

"Not academic administrative work," he told her. "SeeD work. I have papers to sign and who knows when a request for mercenaries comes in? If we get to it too late, we'll loose work and loosing work is loosing money."

"Cid did that stuff before and he can do it again," Rinoa said. "It's just a week, Squall. I'm not asking you to drop all your stuff and run off with me to a deserted island paradise."

Squall narrowed his blue eyes and stared at her. "Rin, I don't think you know just how much more appealing running off with you to a desert island paradise is," he stated coolly. Rinoa rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to finishing her soup. "It's fine if you guys go. I'm sure you all want to see Fujin and Raijin again while you're up there. But I'm not going."

Rinoa's head shot up in defense. "Squall-"

"No," Squall said with a frown as he held his hand up to silence the brunette. "End discussion."

* * *

They were now on a train to Deling City that went along the coast line of the continent. Inside the posh private car, which was paid for by Rinoa for Selphie's birthday, was loaded with presents for the director/mercenary, a large birthday cake which was half eaten already, and room for three dogs who were running around.

Quistis, Rinoa, Shizuka and Selphie's attentions were diverted to the window on the side of the car as they 'ohhed' and 'ahhed' the passing scenery. Sitting across from them were Irvine and Zell playing cards while Seifer sat in his and Quistis' designated booth talking madly on a cell phone. Directly across from him, on the other side of the train car was Squall.

All around him seemed to be this brooding aura of annoyance and anyone who had dared try to speak to him since they left Balamb received either his patented death glare or heard some very unhappy words from him. As a result, they decided to leave him sulking in the corner.

"Rinoa," Quistis said in a concerned voice. "Do you think it's all right to bring Squall? He's been brooding in that corner since we got on the train."

"Yeah, he's bringing down everyone's mood!" Selphie pouted.

"I'm sorry guys, but I thought you wanted him to come?" Rinoa said as she looked at Selphie.

"I did! But I thought you'd wear him down like you usually do and then he'd come and be all pouty, but not like that..." she turned her head and looked over at Squall. "It's like he's just waiting to kill all of us... it's kind of creepy." Squall's eyes instantly fastened on to hers with a dangerous gleam in them and Selphie swallowed nervously.

Rinoa sighed. "Okay, okay...I got it. I'll go talk to him," She got out of her seat and walked down the aisle to Squall. As she approached, Squall didn't look up. He remained looking down with his arms crossed across his chest and a frown on his face. "Squall?"

The blue eyed brunette turned away and Rinoa sighed. She wrinkled up her nose and unceremoniously dumped herself across his lap, startling him slightly. "Rin-"

"I don't want to hear it," Rinoa told him sharply. "You're ruining everyone's mood, Squall. Would it kill you to lighten up a bit? We're supposed to be on vacation."

Squall resisted the urge to stand up and send her falling on her bum. "I told you, I didn't want to come. You're the one that insisted, therefore this is your fault."

"Fine, blame it on me. I don't care," Rinoa retorted. "Just stop being a stick in the mud."

"Tell him to take that stick out of his ass while he's at it!" Seifer shouted from his side of the train. The sound of someone being slapped echoed in the car. "Damn it, woman!"

"Seifer, shut up!" Quistis hissed in the background.

Rinoa ignored them and cupped Squall's face in her hands. "Squall..." she said softly. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Nothing good can happen." Squall stated. He'd had a strange feeling since the invitation was given to him that something was going to go wrong. Despite not wanting to admit it, he had a fear that it might involve him, Rinoa, and a certain General whose daughter he was...with.

"Is this about my father?"

'Damn, how does she KNOW...?' Squall narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever. Rinoa, I just don't think this is a good idea. I should be back at the Garden. I have a pile of work to do."

"Cid said he would take care of it," Rinoa reassured him again. Cid had been more than happy to take on some of Squall's mercenary related duties while they went on a vacation. "Besides, didn't the he assign you a month of vacation time a year?"

Squall frowned and cursed Cid, who claimed he was over working himself. "I didn't want to spend my vacation time at a zoo." he spat out.

"This isn't just a ZOO, Squall!" Rinoa exclaimed. "We're going to go to a theme park and then maybe go to Dollet to check out the beach and relax a little-"

"I can relax back at the Garden."

"Squall..." Rinoa growled in a low voice. Her brown eyes lost their usual joyful glitter and were now cold narrowed slits. "You either brighten up within the next five seconds or I'll call our hotel, cancel our room, and make you stay at my father's house! Five...Four..."

Squall instantly paled. "That's not fair-"

"Three...Two..."

"All right! All right!" Squall grumbled. Rinoa smiled widely and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you saw it my way," Rinoa said as she kissed the side of his face softly. "Smile a little! You'll be one of the first to see the new and improved Deling Zoo."

"Whatever."

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

"Isn't this exciting!?" Selphie gasped as she jumped up and down on the cement just as they entered the front gates of the zoo. "OhmiHyne, what should we see first? Monkeys? Elephants? Penguins? I don't know where to begin!"

The hyper brunette had unfurled her map and was already trying to make a plan for herself. Rinoa was looking at her own map. "I want to go see the tigers," Rinoa said. "The big cats are to our north."

"They're right next to the large herbivore animals," Quistis agreed. "Let's go there first. Selphie, what do you think?"

There was no answer. "Selphie?" Rinoa asked. They looked up.

"Yeah, and I'll have one scoop of vanilla, and two of chocolate!" Selphie was now across the pathway from them, standing in front of a dessert cart. Shizuka was with her.

"And I'll have two strawberries!" Shizuka added. Quistis groaned.

"I think I'll walk around by myself." Squall said before he turned and headed towards the nearest bench.

"Squall!" Rinoa called out.

"If he gets to sit, then I get to sit, too!" Seifer retorted next to Quistis. Quistis shot him a silencing glare.

"No one is sitting!" she snapped. "Look, Irvine and Zell are having fun." She pointed across the path way where Irvine and Zell were also ordering some ice cream.

"They might be easily bought over with frozen sweets, but I have better things to do than to run around with those hyper freaks all day," Seifer told them proudly. "I have phone calls to make-"

"Seifer, it is a WEEKEND." Quistis frowned.

"In this industry, there are no weekends." Seifer replied.

"Okay, FINE!" Rinoa finally said as she threw her arms up. "Squall, if you're just going to pout all day, then go wander by yourself!"

She gave him a challenging look. "Thank you." Rinoa's mouth dropped as Squall turned around and headed in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to be going.

"Squall!" Rinoa nearly shrieked. Her eyes narrowed as she gripped the map in her hand. 'That's it... I'm going to make him eat dinner with my father.'

"Squall got to go! Why can't I?" Seifer whined like a child as he stood in front of Quistis. "That's not fair!"

Quistis ran her hand down her face tiredly. She removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You know what I always thought was attractive?" Quistis said suddenly. Seifer merely rolled his eyes.

"Blondes."

"No," she told him smoothly as she began to walk towards where Rinoa had gone to meet up with the other four. "Guys who were good with animals. There is something about a man in safari uniform that's quite sexy."

Seifer merely stared at her as she sauntered away, knowing full well that he would follow like a puppy. Grumbling, he clenched his knuckles at his sides. "Damn it, Quistis!"

* * *

Squall paused around the corner and looked back down the path where he had come from. He could hear Seifer yelling about the unfairness of the entire situation and how he was being held against his will. Further away, he saw Rinoa frowning as she nearly ripped her zoo map in half at the fact that he actually ditched her. He swallowed, knowing he would never hear the end of it.

But he didn't want to have to spend the entire day with everyone and there was one particular exhibit that he wanted to see, but did not want the others to know he wanted to see. He looked around the corner once more and made sure that they had disappeared down the other park way. He figured, he could always catch up with them later.

He began to head towards the exhibit he wanted to see. When Rinoa opened her map, he quickly looked through the list and made a mental note of the location of what he wanted to see. His reputation was on the line and if anyone, Hyne forbid SEIFER, found out that he wanted to see the new baby panda, his badass-ness would go down the drain.

It was still early and through some connections, they had gotten in earlier than everyone else. This meant that there was no line to see the pandas yet. Inwardly grinning to himself, Squall hurriedly walked over to where the bears were. There were a few other VIPs there, but they ignored him as they went about their own business.

He finally saw the sign that lead to see Pan-Pan, the new panda, and followed it towards the exhibit. He came upon a fork in the path and decided to go right. He then walked in and entered through a gate.

Just as he entered, a zoo worker arrived and closed that gate. He then lifted up a large cardboard cut out of the panda that pointed to the right pathway. Unknowingly, Squall continued on his way. He came upon a door and raised an eyebrow. Regardless, he wanted to see the panda. Looking over his shoulder and seeing that no one had followed, he put his hand on the handle and found it open.

'The door is probably closed because the zoo barely opened...' he thought to himself. He entered the room and frowned. It was quite dark, although here were a few blue lights on the pathway. 'I didn't think pandas were night creatures...'

Squall continued to walk down the path carefully. There seemed to be railings all around him, but as his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he frowned. How come there weren't any bamboo plants? That was odd. He heard something to his left and turned around, but it was much too dark for him to make out anything else.

It sounded like flapping. He paused for a moment and then heard squeaking. "What the..." A gust of wind flew over him and suddenly, he saw bats. Hundreds of bats were flying over him and Squall let out a yell as he fell backwards. His back hit the railing, but it wasn't enough to stop him from tumbling backwards.

* * *

"Will all the available personnel please report to the Bat Cave," the speakers around the park went off. "I repeat, will all available personnel please report to the Bat Cave. We have a man down."

Seifer snorted. "I wonder whose the dumb idiot who fell into a room filled with bats."

"Who'd be stupid enough to be attacked by bats?" Zell laughed as he ate up his ice cream.

"Rinoa?" Quistis said as she looked over her shoulder. Rinoa was looking back down the path they had come from. "Are you all right?"

"I...I think I should go look for Squall..." Rinoa whispered.

"Oh, Rin, don't worry!" Selphie assured her as she hopped over and grabbed Rinoa's arm in her. "Squall is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Rinoa took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah...I guess you're right," She smiled and allowed Selphie to drag her forward "How much trouble can he get into?"


	23. Rinoa Vampire Slayer Part II

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Three: Rinoa, Vampire Slayer - Part II_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Hi again! Thanks to everyone for staying with the story so far.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Check this out," Shizuka said as she held out her map. "The zoo's panda just had a baby a few months go. They finally let it go out with it's mommy this month."

"Aww..." Selphie cooed. "I love pandas! Let's go check them out!"

"Let's wait a few hours," Quistis suggested. "It's noon and I bet the line to see the Pan-Pan is horrible right now."

"You'd think that everyone would be eating lunch or something." Rinoa sighed.

"Speaking of lunch..." Zell piped suddenly. "Guys, I'm kind of hungry..."

"We KNOW, Zell," Quistis sighed. "That's why we're heading over to food court right now." Zell pouted and rubbed his stomach sadly.

"I'm REALLY hungry."

"You've been saying that since we got to the tigers four hours ago," Rinoa sighed. "And you even had some ice cream."

"Don't forget that churro and three frozen bananas," Irvine added. "You've been snaking this whole time, man. How can you still possibly be hungry?"

"Those were just SNACKS. They're for tiding me over until we get to the main course," Zell explained. He looked up ahead of them and saw the series of small restaurants and snack shops ahead. "So what do we have here?"

"Umm..." Selphie looked at the guide on the back of her map. "There is pizza, fried chicken, a salad bar, BBQ-"

"Wait? BBQ? That means hotdogs?" Zell's blue eyes lit up with excitement as Selphie nodded slowly. He let out a yell and ran ahead of them.

"Zell!" Shizuka shouted before letting out a sigh. She shook her head. "I'm holding your wallet...geez..." She looked back at the others. "I better catch up with him before he reaches the register and realizes he has no money."

The others nodded as she took off, dressed in jeans and a sweater. Selphie looked over at Rinoa, to ask what she wanted to eat, and noticed the taller brunette looking around the park, as if searching for someone. "Rin?"

"Hmm?" Rinoa snapped back into attention and smiled weakly. "Sorry, Selphie...I just got distracted."

"Looking for Captain Puberty?" Seifer asked to her side. Rinoa nodded. "He's probably at the front entrance, on that bench where we left him. Lucky bastard."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. She was about to open her mouth to reply, when the PA system around the zoo sounded once again. "Will the company of Mr. Squall Leonhart please report to from the office near the entrance gates."

"Squall?" Rinoa gasped. Her face paled of all color.

"Rinoa..." Quistis said in a worried tone. Before she could even finish saying the brunette's name, Rinoa was gone. "Rinoa!"

"We better go after her!" Selphie gasped. "Squall might be hurt!"

"Whatever it is, I want to see!" Seifer announced. Behind Selphie and Irvine, another slap rang out. "Damn it, woman! It's a joke!"

"Now isn't the time, Seifer!" Quistis hissed. Seifer merely rolled his eyes as he followed them.

* * *

"SQUALL!?" Rinoa shrieked as she burst through the door of the main zoo office. The three women at the front desk jumped up, their eyes wide as the famous singer made a bee line to the front desk. "Hello, my name is Rinoa, I'm looking for Squall Leonhart?" she spewed out in one breath.

"Aren't...aren't you Angel!?" the youngest of the women gasped as she nearly dropped the files she was holding. Rinoa nodded.

"Yes-"

"OhmiHyne! I LOVE you!" the woman gasped. "What are you doing at the Deling City Zoo!?"

"My friend wanted to come for her birthday," Rinoa began cheerfully, but immediately shook her head. "Wait, wait...I need to see Squall Leonhart. I'm part of the party he arrived with."

The three women looked at each other and then back at her. The one closest to Rinoa sighed. "Miss Rinoa, may I know your relationship to Mr. Leonhart?"

"I'm his WIFE!" Rinoa spat out. 'Eventually. Eventually I will be his wife.' She added mentally.

The youngest one sighed. "Figures..." she mumbled as she gathered some paper work in her arms. "All the good ones are taken..." she added as she walked around the corner. Rinoa merely lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Her name is on the sheet," another woman replied. She checked off something on a clip board and put it down on the counter. "Come with me, Mrs. Leonhart."

Rinoa grinned as that woman opened the gate for her and waved for her to follow. 'Mrs. Leonhart...I like the sound of that...nah, I'm going to keep Heartilly.' She inwardly beamed.

"Mrs. Leonhart, do you know what happened?" the woman asked as Rinoa followed her through a narrow hall way. She looked at the bulletin boards on the wall. There were a bunch of pictures of the staff and various animals with zoo keepers.

"No, I rushed over as soon as I heard his name announced," Rinoa said. She suddenly remembered why she had come and the dread that had rushed over her earlier returned. "Is he all right!?" she gasped out nervously.

"Yes, Mrs. Leonhart, however he did fall over the railing at the bat cave."

"Ba...bat cave?" Rinoa's eyes widened and she closed her eyes before running her hand down her face. "Oh, Hyne..."

"I take it you heard the announcement earlier?" the woman chuckled.

"You have to understand that Squall isn't usually like this," Rinoa gasped. "He's usually a very proper, BALANCED person!"

"I'm sure he is, Mrs. Leonhart," the woman nodded with amusement. Rinoa frowned. Obviously, the woman didn't believe her. They came upon a room and the woman knocked. "Mr. Leonhart? Your wife is here."

"Wife?" a confused masculine voice. The door opened and Rinoa stepped into the room behind the other woman. She found him sitting on an examination desk, looking nice and clean, but a flushed expression on his face. "Rinoa..."

"Squall, what happened!?" Rinoa gasped as she rushed forward. Her arms rose and cupped his handsome face in her warm hands. "I heard you were here and I was so worried! I thought you were mauled or something!"

Squall rolled his eyes. "I had a little accident."

"Where is your shirt?" Rinoa asked. She ignored his attempt at an explanation as her eyes lowered down to his body. He had been wearing a black T-shirt earlier that day, but now he was wearing a bright yellow one with blue letters that said _Deling City Zoo_ in an arch over the shadow of a lion. The shirt itself was kind of tight on Squall and she unconsciously dropped her hands to his shoulders and ran her hands up and down his arms. 'Oh...these are nice...'

Squall flushed slightly. "It got...messed up."

"Messed up?" Rinoa asked. She frowned and studied his face.

"Mr. Leonhart's shirt was stained with bat droppings when he fell into one of the pits by the railing." the woman, who was still at the door, told her coolly.

Rinoa's mouth opened and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Re...really?" she said behind a bright smile. "So he DID fall into the bat cave." Squall's face turned bright red as he looked away, jaws clenched and looking like he was embarrassed yet utterly pissed.

"I walked into the wrong exhibit and the bats startled me in the dark. I took a step back and didn't see the railing and then fell backwards," Squall snapped. "Don't let ANY word of this reach the others-"

"Squall, I'm embarrassed as YOU are," Rinoa assured him as she took his hands. From his damp hair and clean skin, she deduced that he had probably been given a shower. Good thing, too, as she was sure the bat guano would've been a dead give away as to what happened to him. Her eyes dropped to his pants and was pleased to see that the dark colored material didn't show any signs of damage or stain. She looked back at him and gave him a lopsided smile. "After all, how does it make me look to have my man bathing in bat droppings?"

"Rinoa..." Squall growled. She laughed and turned to the woman.

"I'm sorry about all of this. What's the damage? I'll take full financial responsibility." Rinoa assured her.

"No damage was done," the woman assured her. "But we would like to you sign some release papers for our files, Mrs. Leonhart."

Rinoa nodded and looked back at Squall. She leaned upwards and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back in a little bit, okay? Just sit tight."

Squall nodded as she let go of his hands and followed the woman outside. He took a deep breath. He couldn't believe this was happening. All he wanted to do was see that new baby panda, Pan-Pan, and the next thing he knows he's on his back, head first down a slope, his shirt covered with bat droppings. That's how the zoo keepers found him.

If he had just had his gunblade with him, they'd be fish chum by now. His face turned red as he remembered the snickering as they helped him out. As he mentally plotted his revenge, there was a knock at the door. Figuring it was Rinoa, he called out. "Come in."

"Who...who are you?" a shaky male voice asked. Squall raised an eyebrow.

"I am...BATman," another male voice replied. "Da-da-da-daa...!" The door burst open and in stumbled Seifer and Irvine, tears in their eyes as they struggled to keep themselves standing as they jumped in with their arms up like wings.

"That was good, Kinneas! I'll give you that!" Seifer laughed as he clutched his sides. He fell back against the wall as Irvine stood propped up against the door way. Irvine was desperately trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Oh man...wait until Zell hears!" Irvine laughed.

"Squall, are you all right?" Quistis asked as she squeezed through the door. She frowned like a concerned mother as she eyed Squall. "We heard Rinoa outside talking to the woman," she explained. "What exactly happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Squall spat out with his death glare.

"Squall! Squall, are you okay!?" Selphie piped up as nearly jumped out of the doorway. "I heard you fell into a pit of bat poop!"

Squall rolled his eyes. Why did she have to put it that way? "Whatever..."

"Nice shirt," Seifer snickered. "Are you planning to land a plane with those bright colors? Maybe drive children to school?"

Squall growled and Quistis grabbed Seifer's arm. "That's it, Seifer, let's go!"

"What? I didn't do anything!" he argued. Quistis merely sank her long nails into Seifer's arm. "Ow! Ow! Okay, okay!"

"We'll be out in the lobby." Quistis told the others. Even as she dragged him down the hall, Seifer's howls of laughter could still be heard.

"Really, though, are you okay?" Irvine asked, a smug smirk still on his face. "Because...you know...bats are really dangerous." He snorted and let out another round of laughter.

"Nice shirt, Squall? Did they give it to you?" Selphie asked.

Squall sighed and nodded. "My other shirt was stained-"

The second he said the word, he regretted it as Irvine let out another loud laugh. Squall glared at him as Irvine raised his hand. "Sorry! Sorry! I'll go!" He smiled weakly behind hysterics as he struggled to get out of the room without falling over on his side.

"Is everything all right in here?" Rinoa asked as she returned. "I saw Irvine and Seifer outside laughing."

"Can we LEAVE now." Squall stated rather than asked.

"But we haven't see the pandas-" Selphie began. She saw Squall's heated glare and took a cautious step back.

Rinoa sighed. "Selphie, you and the others can stay. Squall and I are going back to the hotel."

The green eyed brunette pouted. "Aww...but the pandas-"

"We can come back another time," Rinoa said. She leaned over to Selphie. "I'm taking him back to rest. Otherwise, he'll just growl and glare the rest of the day." she explained. Selphie thought for a moment and nodded sadly.

"Okay...if it can't be helped."

Rinoa looked back at Squall. "Okay, let's go," she said. Squall nodded and slid off the table. As he walked past Rinoa, she saw a small gauze patch on his neck. Her hand reached out and grabbed him before he could get any further. "Wait a second...Squall, what is that?" she asked with an annoyed tone that he didn't tell her.

Squall merely lifted his hand and brushed hers away from the bandaged patch. "It's nothing." he insisted.

"Where you scratched? Bitten?" Rinoa asked worriedly.

"I don't know-"

"Did you get it checked?" Rinoa asked again. Squall looked irate.

"The doctor said it was fine, Rin," he said in a low voice. "Let's just go."

Rinoa took a deep breath and nodded. "All right..." She took his hand and lead him out of the lobby. She thanked the women for their help and then walked outside with Squall and Selphie.

Squall immediately groaned and covered his eyes from the light. "Hurry and tell the others we're leaving." Squall grumbled as he let go of her hand and wandered over to the shade.

Rinoa nodded and she and Selphie walked over to the group. Quistis seemed to be lecturing Irvine and Seifer, who were sitting on a bench, by the bathrooms. "Hmm..." Selphie said as she looked over her shoulder and studied Squall.

Rinoa looked over at her and frowned. "What's the 'hmm'?" she inquired curiously.

"Well...I'm just wondering if he really was bitten by a bat," Selphie explained. "If he does, it can only mean one thing."

Rinoa paused for a second. "Rabies?"

"No!" Selphie sighed. She looked at Rinoa as if the answer were so obvious. "Vampirism."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Selphie," she sighed. "That's ridiculous. Vampires, in the sense you are talking about, don't exist."

"I don't know, Rin..." Selphie said suspiciously. "It may have just been one bite, but he's already shying away from the sun."

"Squall has sensitive skin, you know that!" Rinoa exclaimed. "Enough of this vampire talk," she insisted. "Squall is NOT a vampire."

* * *

He turned over in her bed, her arm raising to grab on to the usual body that accompanied her in bed. She frowned. Her arm grasped empty space and deep in the depths of her sleeping mind, she knew this. Slowly, her consciousness surfaced and she cracked one brown eye opened. Her pale arm was laying over a vacated space of bed next to her. Immediately, she jerked up in bed, clutching the pale hotel sheets against her pajama clad body as she looked around.

"Squall?" she called out into the darkness. She frowned. "Squall?" she called out again. She squinted and looked over to the bathroom. The door was open and there was no light. The bed sheets fell to her waist as she slid out of bed and planted her feet on the floor. She stood up and walked around the bed.

She walked to the bathroom and switched on the light. No one was there. She checked the closet and frowned. Where was Squall? She finally walked over to the balcony doors and pushed aside the curtain. She was about to open the door, when she noticed that the latch was undone. She lifted her head and looked out the clear glass to see Squall sitting on the top of the balcony's low wall. One leg was up on the wall and the other was hanging to his side inside the balcony.

She was shirtless and wearing loose, dark sweat pants as he seemed to be thinking. His head was tilted back against the wall of the hotel while he closed his eyes. His pale skin glistened in the moonlight and Rinoa found herself smirking, pleased, as she slid the door open. The sound seemed to bring Squall out of his thoughts as he turned his head.

"Sorry," he mumbled softly as she slipped through a small opening between the glass door and frame. "Did I wake you?"

"No..." she answered. She walked closer to him hesitantly. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Rinoa frowned. She looked back into the room and saw the digital clock's red numbers. "It's two in the morning..."

"I know," Squall replied coolly. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Are you okay?" Rinoa asked softly as she approached him. He nodded and raised a welcoming arm. She slid into the comfort of his arm draped around her shoulder as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I woke up when I couldn't find you."

"Sorry," Squall mumbled. Rinoa looked over to the other balcony at connected to theirs. It was Selphie and Irvine's. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

"No, I'm fine," Rinoa assured him. "Usually, you're knocked out by now."

"I know..." Squall agreed. "I just couldn't get to sleep. I'm probably just not tired enough," Rinoa nodded. She yawned and Squall looked over at her. "Why don't you go back to bed?" She took a deep breath and thought for a moment before nodding. He lifted his arm off her shoulder and she turned to leave. Her bare feet caught on each other and she let out a yelp as she fell forward and landed on the floor.

Immediately, Squall was on his feet and kneel down next to her to help her up. "Ow..." she drawled out as she winced.

"Rin? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he gathered her on to his lap. She nodded but lifted her hand.

"Oh, man..." she moaned as she saw the large scrape against the side of her pinky. She just had to land wrong... She looked at her hand with a frown as blood began to welt up. "I need to get a band-"

Before she finished, her pinky suddenly was overcome by something wet and soft. Her eyes widened as she blushed furiously. Squall's eyes closed as he placed her finger his mouth. Rinoa's opened mouth stayed that way as she struggled to gain coherent thoughts. Before she could, Squall pulled her no longer bleeding finger away from his lips. "Let's get a bandage for it." he told her softly.

Rinoa whimpered out something that sounded like 'yes' as Squall picked her up and carried her into the hotel room. He laid her on the bed and looked her over for any more wounds before rushing to get the first aid kit he packed with him.

Meanwhile, Rinoa sat on the bed, a strange, but highly pleased grin on her face as she held her pinky up. Squall arrived and quickly sanitized it with a wipe and then wrapped a bandage around it. "Do you hurt any where else?" he asked as he closed the aid kit and sat at the edge of the bed next to her. "Do you need ice or anything?"

Rinoa blinked and looked over at him. "Did...did you just put my finger in your mouth?"

"Sorry," Squall said as he diverted his eyes quickly. "I don't know happened. Usually, when I cut myself or something, I suck on it a bit."

'Oh, and suck you did...' Rinoa's mind sang. She struggled to keep rational, non perverse thoughts as he caressed her hair back and gently pushed her back down.

"I'm sorry for waking you," he told her as he leaned down and kissed her. "I'll be right here, all right?"

Rinoa nodded and closed her eyes. She felt Squall stand up and a few moments later, the weight of his body on the other side of the bed. His bare arms wrapped around her slim waist, pulling her against her as he laid over on his side. He warm breath caressed her neck and she felt him kiss her softly. He whispered a goodnight and closed his own eyes, probably trying to sleep.

Rinoa seemed content, despite the throbbing pain she felt in her pinky. After fifteen minutes, her eyes flew open. 'Wait...he's up at night...he sucked the blood off my finger...and now his mouth is two inches from my neck...' Her heart began to beat quickly and she gave herself a mental shake. 'Oh, get real, Rinoa. You've been listening to Selphie too much...' She took a deep breath. "Squall is NOT a vampire." she reasserted herself.

She turned her head over to look at him and saw him sleeping contently. She let out a relieved sigh. She turned her head back and closed her eyes. Squall felt her heart rate slow and opened his two blue eyes. 'Vampire, huh...?'


	24. Rinoa Vampire Slayer Part III

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Four: Rinoa, Vampire Slayer - Part III_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Hi again! I felt like writing something vaguely humorous, so I hope you enjoy!

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Squall...Squall...get up," Rinoa knelt down on his side of the bed and put her hands on his shoulder. "Squall!" she said with a frown as she shook him again.

"What?" came an annoyed male voice from underneath a pile of blankets. Squall's head was buried under a pillow and he was on his side. He rolled over and lifted the pillow off his face.

"Squall, it's morning," Rinoa sighed as she stood back up. "Come on. We're supposed to meet the others downstairs for breakfast."

"You go ahead." Squall grumbled. He dropped the pillow back over his face and turned his back to her.

Rinoa let out a groan. "Squall!"

"Just go without me." came a muffled reply.

She songstress sighed and slapped his upper arm. "Fine," she huffed. "But you better be ready afterwards! You said you'd take me shopping."

Beneath the pillow, Squall cringed. "Whatever."

Rinoa sighed once again and ran her hand down her face. She stood up, already dressed and ready to go. She had hoped that Squall would wake up while she got ready, so she didn't have to wake him up, but instead, she had come out of the bathroom to find him still asleep.

"You said you'd go with me." Rinoa said as she walked over to the sliding doors. The curtain had been pulled closed over it, blocking out the sunlight. She grabbed the curtains with both hands and pulled them apart, flooding the room with the dawn.

"Ugh..." Beneath the pile of sheets and pillows, Rinoa heard a groan and she rolled her eyes.

"Up in two hours, Squall! TWO HOURS." she stressed. With that, she walked past the dresser and got her key card before leaving the room.

Rinoa then headed to the elevators and went down to the restaurant on the first floor where she was meeting the others for breakfast. As she walked past the person at the front, she motioned that she was looking for her group, only to be called over.

"Rin! Rin, over here! Do you see us?" Selphie's loud voice cut through the aimless ramblings within the restaurant. Patrons turned their heads to look at who was shouting.

'As IF I didn't hear her...' Rinoa thought to herself with a weak smile as she approached the area where the others were seated. "Good morning!"

"Morning!" a series of voices, either muffled by food or not, chorused. She grinned as she put her purse on the empty seat next to Selphie. "I'm going to grab breakfast, real quick. Selphie, if the waitress comes by, can you ask for some orange juice?"

"Sure thing!" Selphie said as she shoved a biscuit in her mouth. Rinoa sighed and stood up. She headed for the breakfast buffet and saw Seifer standing over one of the counters.

"What are you doing?" Rinoa said as she passed him. She grabbed a plate and headed around the other side of the counter.

"Turkey stuffed croissant or ham stuffed croissant..." he mumbled, mostly to himself.

Rinoa rolled her eyes as she scooped some eggs on to her plate. "Why not both?" she said as she grabbed some sausage from the tray.

"No...trying to watch my weight..." Seifer mumbled again. "Turkey is more healthy, right?" He looked up at her and Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

He was absolutely serious. "Seifer..." she started slowly. "WHY are you watching your weight?"

Immediately, his green eyes narrowed. "Quistis...fat...letting go..." he mumbled quietly. Rinoa smirked.

"What was that, my manager?" Rinoa asked as she lifted her hand to her ear. "Care to repeat that?"

"Just get your bacon and sit down." Seifer snapped. He grabbed the ham stuffed croissant and stomped back to their table. Rinoa snickered and grabbed a plain croissant for herself.

As she neared the table, she saw the devious look on Selphie's face. She sat down and put her plate on the table. "Rin," Selphie said excitedly. Rinoa leaned over and looked across the table at Quistis and Seifer. Zell and his girlfriend weren't there yet and Irvine was on Selphie's other side. "Quistis said that Seifer claimed she was getting a little 'heavy'."

"No way!" Rinoa gasped, her eyes wide. They darted over to the couple across from her, who seemed to be ignoring each other.

Selphie nodded and continued. "So she told him that he was 'letting himself go' and she that couldn't feel his muscles underneath his layer of fat."

'That would explain the turkey stuffed croissant question...' Rinoa smirked to herself and whispered what she was asked while getting her food. Selphie struggled to contain her laughter as Quistis snapped her head up and frowned at the two of them.

"Selphie, Rinoa," she scolded. "You two aren't children any more. Stop gossiping."

"We're not GOSSIPING," Rinoa insisted. "We're sharing information." She reached across the table to get the pitcher of juice and Seifer saw the bandage on her finger.

"Hey, what happened to you?" he asked with a frown.

"Hmm?" Rinoa looked at her hand and blushed slightly. "Oh...Squall was out on the balcony last night and I went out. When I was coming back in, I tripped-"

"Say no more," Seifer cut her off. Rinoa shot him a glare. "You scrubbed. It explains everything."

"Whatever, 'tubby'." Rinoa retorted. Seifer nearly choked on his croissant and the corners of Quistis' lips curled into a smile.

"You told them?" Seifer spat out as he whirled around to Quistis. Once again, unwanted eyes were on the table and Quistis gently tapped a napkin to her soft lips.

She turned to him and grabbed his chin firmly in one hand before laying a kiss on her man's lips. Selphie made a weird face. "Eww..."

Seifer's eyes widened and they could slowly see the muscles in his face relaxing. "Better?" Quistis asked. Seifer nodded. "Good."

"Crack goes the whip." Irvine smirked. Quistis grinned and Seifer shot the cowboy a deadly glare.

"Are you okay, Rin?" Selphie asked as she turned back to her friend.

"Yeah," Rinoa said. "Squall's really tired though. He had insomnia last night and couldn't sleep. So he's sleeping in this morning."

"Wait..." Selphie put down her chocolate covered donut. "Are you telling me that Squall doesn't like the daylight?"

"No..." Rinoa said. "I said that he had insomnia-"

"Because he CAN'T sleep at NIGHT..." Selphie stressed.

"Selphie, what are you getting at?" Quistis sighed.

Selphie's eyes were massive as they looked at Rinoa seriously. "Don't get scared..." Selphie told the other brunette calmly. "But I think Squall is a vampire."

Four sets of eyes at the table all stared at Selphie like she had lost her mind. Quistis ran her hand down her face. "Oh, Hyne, not THIS again. Honestly, Selphie...that's an unfounded theory!"

"No! I'm serious!" Selphie said. "I mean THINK about it. He gets attacked by bats-"

"He fell into a zoo exhibition." Rinoa corrected her.

"Which is funny non-the-less..." Seifer snorted. He and Irvine snickered.

"And then he doesn't like the light. He went to stand in the shade yesterday, remember? Now he can't sleep at night. Coincidence? I think not." Selphie stated.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Selphie, it's not like Squall's been drinking blood or anything," Her eyes fell on to Rinoa, who poked at the food on her desk, a blush slowly rising. Quistis frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Well...he didn't EXACTLY drink my blood..." Rinoa said sheepishly. She lifted up her pinky. "When I fell, it bled a little-"

"Surprise, surprise."

"Shut up, Seifer!" Rinoa snapped. He merely smirked to himself and Quistis elbowed him. "Anyway, he just took my hand and put my pinky in his mouth..."

"And drank your blood." Selphie concluded.

"He did NOT drink my blood," Rinoa sighed. "Selphie, Squall is NOT a vampire."

"I don't know, Rin..." Selphie said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "This might just be the beginning. You might have to watch him. Who knows, he might start oozing out the charm-"

"That'll be the day..." Irvine said under his breath.

They ignored him and Selphie continued. "And seducing other women for their blood!" Rinoa jerked her head back. "We better help him before it's too late."

"Wait, wait, let me get this straight..." Irvine said. He turned to look at his girlfriend. "You're telling me that if I 'accidentally' fell into a bat cave and then started being nocturnal, hating light, and putting cuts into my mouth...I would not be blamed if I hit on other women because it's in my nature?"

Selphie just gave him a dull look. "No, Irvy, that doesn't work with you. Granted, it's in your nature NOW, so you couldn't prove you're a vampire that way. And yes, I would still blame you." she said before he could ask her to clarify.

Seifer smirked from across the table. "Snap goes the nunchuku."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Squall?" Rinoa opened the door to the hotel room and looked around. She frowned as she realized the room was still dark. She walked inside and saw that Squall had closed the curtains. Grumbling, she turned to the bed and saw the man sized lump. "Squall!"

"What?"

"You were supposed to be up by now!" Rinoa whined. She sat on the bed next to his body and reached out to shake him gently. "Shopping, remember?"

Out of the layers of sheets, his hand flew out grabbed hers. She let out a yelped as she was pulled over his body and found herself crushed underneath him. "Why don't you stay here instead?" he asked coolly. "Don't you think it would be better?"

Rinoa's eyes were wide as she stared up into soft blue eyes as his weight gently laid on top of hers. She could see the slight smirk in his face. His crystal blue eyes drew her into an almost trance like state.

_"...he might start oozing out the charm..."_

Squall watched with confusion as panic spread through Rinoa's face. "I...uh..." she stammered as her face flushed. "I gotta go shopping!"

With a strong shove, she pushed him off of her and rolled off the other side of the bed. Squall merely laid there on his side, looking at her calmly as the sheets laid around his hips. Rinoa looked away and mentally counted to ten.

"Still going shopping?" he asked.

She bit her lower lip and nodded. "See you at dinner? Great! Bye!" She grabbed her key card and dashed out the door, leaving Squall on the bed. He grinned to himself.

Rinoa ran to the elevator and quickly pressed the down button. Her thoughts were filled with Squall - a VAMPIRIC Squall. When she reached the bottom, the doors open and she dashed through them. When she saw her friends, she ran directly up to Selphie.

"Rinoa?" Quistis said behind her. "Are you all right? You look flushed."

"Squall's a vampire!" she exclaimed.

Seifer threw his arms in the air. "Great...great...how will THIS look magazine covers?" he mumbled. "_Pop Idol Claims Boyfriend A Vampire_. Good looking out for your SANE image, Rinoa."

"Seifer, I'm serious!" Rinoa exclaimed. "He...he was...his eyes...naked...bed...SEDUCE ME!" she stammered.

"I don't think I want to hear this any more..." Seifer grumbled and walked towards the entrance of the hotel. Behind Selphie, Irvine chuckled.

"That's nothing, Rinoa," he assured her. "He's probably just hard up."

"Irvy!" Selphie piped as she elbowed him. "This is serious! We might have to actually slay him!"

"No," Quistis said firmly. She shook her head as the others looked at her. "Selphie, Rinoa, this is crazy. Both of you know that Squall is NOT a vampire."

"Then how do you explain what happened last night and just right now?" Selphie gasped. Quistis sighed.

"All right then, say Squall IS a vampire. What are you going to do about it?" Quistis asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave them an awaiting look.

"Well..." Selphie thought for a moment. Suddenly, her face brightened and it looked like she had an idea. "It looks like we'll have to cure him!"

"And HOW exactly are you going to 'cure' him?" Quistis sighed.

"Hmm...Rinoa...where's the nearest library?" Selphie asked.

"In downtown, just four blocks from here," Rinoa said thoughtfully. "Why?"

"We have research to do! Let's go!" Selphie pointed out the doors.

"Wait, I thought we were going to go shopping," Irvine frowned. "I don't want to go to the library on a day like this!" He followed the girls out of the hotel and found Seifer waiting impatiently.

"Can we GO now?" Seifer asked, annoyed.

"Change of plans," Quistis told him. "We're going vampire researching at the library."

Seifer growled and glared at Rinoa and Selphie. "I can't believe you two idiots think that Captain Puberty Boy is actually a vampire! I don't care WHAT happened, he's as normal as he can get! I don't want to waste my time at a library today and that's FINAL!"

* * *

"Seifer, hand me that book on the undead," The tall blond reached over the table to the stack of books that were closer to him and plucked one out of the pile half heartedly. He waved it in front of Quistis' face. "What is this?"

"That book." he answered stiffly. He sat on a chair, a scowl on his face as Quistis sat next to him, reading from a large book. Across from him, Selphie and Rinoa were reading up on vampires as well.

"I asked for the undead book," she stated. "This is world demons."

"FINE," Seifer grumbled. He took the book back and tossed it in front of him. He turned his head and took the correct book. He handed it to Quistis. "Here."

"Thank you, baby." Quistis said sweetly. Seifer rolled his eyes.

'I should've stayed at the hotel. Damn Kinneas...had the right idea...' Seifer frowned, remembering that Irvine had opted to stay if all they were doing was going to a library that day. When Seifer said he was going to as well, Quistis narrowed her eyes and gave him a look that said 'come with us or suffer'.

Seifer made a mental note to blame one person - Squall Leonhart. Whether or not he really was a real vampire no longer mattered. What mattered was that Seifer was not stuck in a dusty old library instead of watching his fiancee try on bikinis. Squall would pay for this.

* * *

"Isn't that kind of mean?" Irvine said as he sat across from Squall. They were at the sports bar in another part of the hotel, sitting at the bar with drinks in front of them. "I mean...they looked pretty serious."

"She called me a vampire," Squall told Irvine coolly. "I'm just playing the part."

Irvine shook his head. "When Rinoa finds out..." he trailed off. Squall merely grinned and took a drink from the glass in front of him.

"She'll probably complain. Besides, what is she going to do about it?" Squall asked.

"You better find a way to fix this soon," Irvine said. "They went to the library to try to research a a way to 'cure' you."

"Cure me?" Squall asked. Irvine nodded.

"I don't know if they plan on staking you through the heart and then cremating your body or performing some sort of exorcism," Irvine chuckled. "But they looked determined."

"You still didn't answer my question," Squall said. He pushed the empty glass away from him and lifted his hand to get the bartender's attention. "Refill!" he ordered.

"I don't know..." Irvine mumbled to himself. "I mean...Selphie's going to loose it when she finds out. And that's a WHEN not and IF."

Squall nodded. The bartender slid him another glass of red wine and Squall handed him some gil. "So are you in or not?"

Irvine let out a heavy sigh. "I'm in..."

Squall grinned. "Perfect."

* * *

The door opened and Rinoa peeked into the darkness of her hotel room. "Squall...?" she called out nervously. "Squall are you here?"

She stepped into the room and looked around. The curtains were open, revealing the night sky outside. Rinoa walked into the room, carrying a few large paper bags from their 'shopping' excursion. She put them against the wall and walked in.

Inside the bathroom, the towel clad 'vampire' grinned to himself and checked himself in the mirror one more time before making sure the towel was clad around his waist. 'This will get her back for putting me in...' Squall shivered. 'HANDCUFFS in that damn video...'

He slowly opened the door and stepped outside. He saw Rinoa by the sliding door, looking outside to see if Squall was once again standing on the balcony. She didn't see him and frowned to herself.

She turned around. "Squa-AH!" She gasped as she jumped back, only to feel arms around her. Squall stood in front of her, a slight smile on his lips as his arms encircled her slim waist. She had jumped back and hit her head on the glass. "Ow..."

"What's wrong?" he asked almost TOO sweetly. Rinoa shivered. With one arm still tightly around her, he raised the other one and gently rubbed her head. "Are you all right, Rin? You look flushed."

"I'm fine!" she squeaked out. He merely raised an eyebrow and allowed his gaze to course over her soft face. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest as his eyes took her in.

"Really?" he asked softly. "Are you sure? It's like all your blood rushed to your face," His hand rose and caressed her cheek. Rinoa closed her eyes and let out a weak whimper. "What was that?" he asked.

Rinoa lowered her head. "Um...Squall...why are you...wet? And um...in a towel?"

"Just got out of the shower," he shrugged. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he lowered his head and pressed his lips against the side of her face. "Are you sure you're all right? You're shaking..."

Rinoa's eyes rolled back as she closed them. Soft lips were placing delicate kisses on her neck. 'Oh, Hyne...I think I like him better this way...' Then she felt a light bite at her neck and she let out a shriek.

Panicked, she shoved him away and ran across the room. Squall looked at her, confused. "Rinoa?"

"I...I gotta go!" she stammered again. She had one hand clasped against her neck, where he had gently bitten. "See you later!"

She dashed out the door and Squall struggled to keep in his laughter. He shook his head. "Too easy..." he breathed to himself. Grinning, he removed the towel to reveal shorts and walked over to the bags she had left behind.

He knelt down and looked through them. There were some books on vampires...from the library. Some shirts, a box of shoes, and...garlic? Squall raised an eyebrow and looked out towards the door where Rinoa had run out of. He shook his head and grinned. Good thing Irvine had told him what Selphie had said earlier.

_"She said you'd 'turn on the charm'. Whatever that is."_ Irvine had explained. Squall chuckled to himself and sprawled out on the bed. He lifted the remote and turned on the television.

"Ironic..." he mumbled as he saw the movie that was playing. _Interview with the Vampire_.

* * *

"Selphie! Selphie!" Rinoa was yelling out her friend's name as she ran through the halls. She had taken the elevator down two stories and burst through, not caring who heard her screaming her friend's name as she ran through the halls. For the life of her, she couldn't remember Selphie's room number.

"Rinoa! Rinoa!" another voice shouted. Around the hall came Selphie, arms in the air and eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Rinoa gasped as her friend ran into her.

"It's Irvine!" Selphie gasped as she grasped Rinoa's arms tightly.

"What about him? Is he okay?" Rinoa asked worriedly. Selphie shook her head. She looked up at Rinoa with large, panicked eyes.

"Rinoa! I think he's a vampire, too!"

Rinoa's eyes widened. "Oh no..."


	25. Rinoa, Vampire Slayer er Exorcist

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Five: Rinoa, Vampire Slayer...er Exorcist_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: And so Rinoa's adventures with Vampire Squall comes to an end...kind of...

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"And so you saying that both Squall AND Irvine are vampires?" Two brunette heads bobbed up at down as wide, frightened eyes looked up into disbelieving blue ones.

Behind the blond, casually sitting on the edge of a large bed, a blond male was fuming. Emerald eyes narrowed into annoyed slits sent daggers at the two girls sitting on chairs in front of Quistis.

"You're both nuts." he spat out simply.

"Seifer," Quistis hissed as she turned around and gave him an annoyed look. "You are NOT helping."

"Well, they're not exactly welcomed guests!" Seifer retorted proudly as he turned his away and looked back at the television in front of him. He was sitting up, leaning against the wooden head board, dressed in a white undershirt and the bed comforter up to his waist.

He and Quistis were about to go to bed after a long day at a library, when a series of frantic knocks were heard at the door. They were accompanied by screams of 'Quistis, help us!' and 'Squall and Irvine are vampires!'.

Despite Seifer's first instinct to call hotel security, he grudgingly allowed, or rather accepted with vocal objections, Quistis letting them into their room. Now, Rinoa and Selphie sat on the chairs across from Quistis, like frightened children.

"But it's true!" Selphie gasped. "I came into the room after we got back and found Irvine sitting in the room in the dark while looking up at the moon."

"So?" Seifer snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"HE WASN'T WEARING HIS HAT!" Selphie gasped out. Seifer closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'I will not kill Selphie. I will not kill Selphie...' he mentally chanted as he tried to calm himself.

"Quisty...can we stay with you tonight?"

Seifer's eyes flew open and he turned to glare at Selphie as she looked at Quistis with pleading, puppy sized eyes. His mental chant turned into 'I MUST kill Selphie. I MUST kill Selphie.'

Quistis sighed and shook her head. "Rinoa, Selphie, you two can't stay with us tonight. We simply don't have enough room."

"Rinoa's rich," Seifer snapped from the bed. "Get her to book another hotel room."

"We tried that already!" Rinoa gasped. "Everything was booked!"

"Then go to your dad's!" Seifer yelled back.

Rinoa paused for a moment and thought. "Hey...that's actually a good idea."

"What do you mean ACTUALLY-" Seifer began defensively.

"Let's go to your dad's place, Rin!" Selphie piped. She grasped Rinoa's arm and tugged on it pleadingly. "It's a big, fortified - SAFE place!"

Rinoa nodded. "Okay! Let's go!" She and Selphie stood up and gave Quistis a hug. "Thanks, Quistis! I knew we could count on you."

Seifer frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? It was MY idea!"

Rinoa and Selphie and apparently Quistis, too, ignored him. "If they come looking for us, don't tell them where we went, okay?" Selphie asked. Quistis nodded.

"All right," Quistis sighed. "But I still don't believe that both Squall and Irvine are vampires."

Rinoa and Selphie rushed out of the room, Rinoa bringing out her cellular phone as they did so. Quistis locked the door behind them and took a deep breath.

"I'm starting to regret allowing Rinoa to meet up with those morons again," Seifer grumbled from the bed. Quistis turned around and watched him frown as he crossed his arms over his chest. "When the media finds out that Rinoa's insane, there goes her career and therefore MY career."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "It's always about you, isn't it?"

"Isn't it always?" Seifer answered coolly. He gave her a smug smirk as she sat down on the edge of the bed right next to him. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her pink nightgown clad waist and pulled her against him. "Mmmm..." he mumbled as he buried his face against the side of her head. "Where were we?"

"About to go to bed," Quistis smirked. She felt Seifer pause beneath her and used that moment to pull herself away. "I'm tired now. Good night!"

"What?" Seifer gasped. Quistis stood up and walked around the bed to her side. "You were going to give me a massage!" he pouted.

Quistis sat down and slipped between the covers of the bed. "No, I wasn't." she replied coolly. She reached up and turned off the lamp on her side of the bed.

"Well, I wanted you to." Seifer offered.

"But I wasn't," He watched her shift in the bed and lean over to kiss his cheek. "Good night, Seifer."

With that, she rolled over, her back to him, and proceeded to sleep. Seifer frowned. "Damn it, woman..."

* * *

A large door opened and revealed a man that screamed out military. He was dressed in matching flannel pajamas and a black robe baring the seal of the Galbadian military over his left breast. White letters embroidered beneath the seal said, in elegant cursive, _Gen. Caraway_.

"Dad! Thank you so much for letting us stay the night!" Rinoa said as she was ushered inside with Selphie behind her.

"Not a problem, Rinoa," Caraway replied calmly as he stepped aside to let them in. "I see you've finally left THAT BOY."

Rinoa rolled her eyes as she turned around. Selphie looked around the foyer of the large house. "I did not leave SQUALL," Rinoa insisted. "It's just that he's...um... not feeling well right now and I didn't want to get sick! Yeah..."

"What's he got? Flu? Fever? Cold? Some life threatening disease?" Caraway asked.

"Vampirism." Selphie piped. Rinoa closed her eyes and ran her hand down her face. She looked over her shoulder and frowned at her shorter friend. Selphie shrugged. "What? It's true!" She looked up at the General. "Squall and my boyfriend, Irvine, have become vampires and we can't stay with them or else we'll become vampires, too. We need a place to stay until we can cure them."

"You mean slay them." Caraway corrected.

"Dad, we don't want to SLAY them!" Rinoa sighed. "Slaying implies that we're going to kill them."

"Exactly."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "We're trying to find out what's wrong so we can help them."

"Otherwise, you're going to slay them."

"Dad!" Rinoa growled. She threw her arms in the air. "Forget it! C'mon, Selphie. I'll show you to the guest room!"

Selphie nodded and followed at Rinoa up the stairs. General Caraway rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "Tell if you need help with the slaying!"

"We're not slaying ANYONE!"

* * *

"Umm...Squall?"

"What?"

"Have you seen Selphie?" Squall frowned and sat up in bed just as the vampire movie he was watching on television concluded, telephone receiver in hand.

"What do you mean have I seen Selphie? Isn't she with you?" he asked. He looked at the digital clock on the table. Rinoa had been gone for some time now.

"Well, after greeting her...I kind of bit her neck, she screamed and flew out of the room before I could say anything," Irvine told him. "I thought you might've seen her with Rinoa or something."

"Actually, Rin left a few hours ago," Squall mumbled. He moved his legs over the side of the desk. "Did you try calling Selphie's phone?"

"Yeah, but she left it here," Irvine said. "Can you call Rinoa? Maybe she's with Selphie."

"I'll do that. Thanks." Squall hung up the phone and stood up. He walked to the dresser and lifted up his phone. He quickly dialed Rinoa's stored number and lifted it up to her ear. One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

"Hi, this is Rinoa! I can't answer the phone right now, so please leave a message and I'll call you back!" BEEP!

Squall snapped the flip phone closed before he could leave a message and frowned. She wasn't answering her phone. Usually when he called, she would immediately answer. He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck.

Suddenly, the hotel phone rang and he looked up. He strode over to the side of the bed and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I called Seifer and Quistis," Irvine said. "Aside from Seifer screaming about how he's going to kill me in the morning, he said that Rin and Selphie went to Rin's dad's place."

Color drained from Squall's face as he nearly dropped the receiver. "They're... WHERE?" he asked with disbelief.

"At General Caraway's. Should we go get them?" Irvine asked.

"No...no, just let them stay there the night," Squall said. He sat back in bed and ran a hand down his face tiredly. "They'll have to come back eventually..." 'I hope...damn it, Rin...you just LOVE making things difficult for me, don't you? Well, we'll see who comes out on top this time.'

* * *

"We have to go back eventually," Rinoa said as she fell back against her old bed. Selphie was laying on one of the bean bags in Rinoa's room. "The question is what we are going to do when we get there."

"Try talking to him, Rinoa," Selphie suggested. "Maybe if we talk to them, they'll try to atone for what they've done and be GOOD vampires."

"That still doesn't change the fact that they're vampires," Rinoa reminded her. She sat up, a pillow on her lap, as she looked deep in thought. "I'm worried that we won't be able to turn them back..."

"There has to be a way," Selphie said. "You know...other than slaying..."

"I read in one of the books today that if we find whoever turned them into vampires, they'll turn into humans again...but that'll only work with Irvine!" Rinoa pouted. She let out a groan and fell back on her bed "Squall was turned by bats!"

"It looks like we're going to have to exorcise them," Selphie nodded thoughtfully. "All right, Rin...tomorrow, in the morning...while they're still asleep, we'll get them, okay?"

"Okay...should we go together or alone?"

"Together is safer, but if we tag team one, the other vampire might come to their aid before we can complete the exorcism," Selphie explained. "I know! We'll get some rope and tie them to the bed."

Rinoa looked up and stared at Selphie. "Umm...I don't think I feel comfortable doing that...Squall doesn't like to be tied up..." Rinoa mumbled. "Remember the video?"

"Yeah, but this is different. This is for his own good," Selphie insisted. "Besides, do you really want to spend the rest of your life unable to go out in the day light with Squall for fear that he'll burn and turn into ashes before you even get three feet from the Garden?"

"No..." Rinoa agreed weakly. She took a deep breath. "I'm sure he'll thank me for it later. I mean...he did eventually thank you guys for taking him on vacation to Trabia, right?"

Selphie was about to nod, but stopped. She pouted slightly as her eye brows furrowed. "Actually...no."

* * *

Rinoa rolled over in her bed, a frown on her face as she tried to bury herself deeper in her bed. She couldn't seem to be rid of the dreams that plagued her. All she could see was Squall laying on top of her, eyes glazed over as his mouth parted and she met face to face with pearly white fangs.

White fangs glistening with fresh warm blood that happened to belong to HER. She was lost in his eyes and was twisting from side to side, but couldn't seem to escape him. He was too strong for her.

_ "Squall! Squall, let me go! Please!" _Rinoa pleaded in tears.

He merely shook his head and lowered it once more. Her eyes widened as she felt two stinging teeth pierce the tender flesh of her skin. Her eyes flew open as she let out a painful scream.

"Ah!" Rinoa's eyes flew open as she froze in her bed. Her hands had turned white from clutching the edge of her comforter tightly. Her heart was racing as brown eyes darted around the room warily.

'Okay, Rinoa...breath...breath...' she told herself as she laid frozen in bed. 'Calm down. It was just a dream. Squall isn't here. He's not attacking you.'

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She kept repeating that she was back in her room at her father's house and that Squall was ALL the way across the city back at the hotel. Away from her.

Once her heart rate had returned to normal, she opened her eyes and met ice blue ones. "Did you think you could hide from me?"

The distinctly male voice cut through the peaceful silence of the room as Rinoa's eyes widened and her heart stopped in her chest. Her entire body drained of all color as she looked up at cold, possessive blue eyes looming above her.

For the moment, her breath was knocked out of her. "How...how did you get in here...?" she stammered out in a breathy voice.

Squall merely smirked and lowered his head. Hardened lips pressed against hers, almost painfully, as she closed her eyes tightly. "I always know where you are." he replied in a deep, husky voice.

'Oh, Hyne...let me die right here...' Rinoa thought blissfully as Squall continued where he had left off at the hotel and trailed kisses down the side of her soft face.

"Am I so bad that you had to run off to your father?" Squall inquired sweetly. He took notice of Rinoa turning into a lump of highly pleased goo in his hands and he smirked. Revenge was so sweet.

"Er...no...?" Rinoa mumbled in her drug like induced state. Her eyes rolled back as one hand lazily dropped the comforter she had earlier been holding for dear life. It rose and held on to the material of his shirt.

"So why did you leave?" Squall asked, using that same sugar coated voice. Rinoa whimpered out something incomprehensible, lost in the soft massage Squall's right hand was doing against the side of her body and hip. "What was that?"

"Squall..." Rinoa moaned, her eyes still closed as his lips settled on her neck, just below her hair line by her ear. She could feel his warm breath against her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I'm sorry..." she gasped out.

"Hmmm?" Before Squall had a chance to fully comprehend what she was saying, a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck and his eyes widened. "Ri...noa!" His body fell heavily against hers.

A shaking hand rose and turned on the light on the side of the bed. As a dull yellow light flooded the room, Rinoa looked down at the heap of SeeD Captain laying on top of her and smiled sadly. She lifted her hand and caressed the soft brown bangs that fell over his face.

"Squall...I'm sorry..." Rinoa whispered regretfully. Her other hand let the blunt metal singing trophy fall.

* * *

Squall groaned as he opened his eyes and looked around. The room was very dark, the curtains closed. It probably wasn't dawn yet. A dull, throbbing pain was pulsating at the back of his neck and his head hurt. He felt as if he had been hit hard by something. Groaning once more, he closed his eyes and allowed his head to sink deeper into the pillows.

"RINOA..." he growled in a low voice.

To his right, he heard an high pitched 'eep' sound and turned to look. Sitting on a white wicker chair was Selphie. Her green eyes were wide with horror as she jumped up and scrambled to the door.

"Don't move!" Selphie told him as she opened the door. "Don't worry, Squall! We're going to help you!"

Squall narrowed his eyes at the lesser SeeD officer and attempted to lift his hand to rub his head. As he moved it down, he felt it stop - restrained. "What the...?" Squall turned his head up and nearly let his eyes fly out of his head as he saw his wrists tied to the posts of Rinoa's bed.

"Don't freak out, Squall!" Selphie assured him. "It'll be all right!" She looked out the door. "RINOA! He's AWAKE!" she screamed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Squall yelled as he turned to look back at Selphie. When he attempted to move his legs, he felt them also being restrained and looked down. "You've got to be kidding me! SELPHIE! What the hell did you do?"

His legs were pulled apart and then tied to the bed posts at either end of Rinoa's bed. "She'll be back in just a second with the equipment, Squall," Selphie assured him. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to normal in no time!"

"Back to normal-" Squall gasped. He narrowed his eyes. "Is this about the vampire thing? Hyne, Selphie, it was a jo-"

"Don't be afraid, Squall," Selphie told him, a worried look on her face. "The exorcism spell is guaranteed to work! We spent all day yesterday looking it up."

"EXORCISM?" Squall shouted. He began to thrash in bed, trying desperately to loosen the nylon bindings, but found that they were expertly tied. "I'm not POSSESSED!"

"Sure, you aren't, Squall...sure, you aren't..." Selphie answered with pity. Squall let out a growl just as Rinoa ran into the room. "Not a moment too soon, Rin...he's starting to panic!" She nodded and turned to look at Squall.

"Squall?" Rinoa said in a soft voice as she approached him. "Do you remember me? It's me...Rinoa."

"I KNOW who you are!" Squall growled. "Rinoa, get me out of these things!" He shouted as he tugged on the nylon bindings. 'Where the hell did she learn to tie these things?'

"I can't do that, Squall...not until I save you."

"WHAT?"

"No, just relax..." Rinoa told him lovingly as she lifted up a paper bag. "I'm not exactly authorized to do this and I've never done this before, but I'm going to exercise you."

"Rinoa! Let me out of here! For crying out loud, I'm not a vampire! I was just kidding!" Squall shouted.

"Selphie," Rinoa said, looking over her shoulder. "Help me set up these candles."

Squall let out a highly annoyed groan as Selphie nodded and began to take the collection of white candle sticks and run around the room placing them in different areas. "Rinoa, for the LAST time, I'm not a vampire!"

"He's only telling you that so you'll loosen the bindings," Selphie insisted. "Do you have the book?"

"BOOK? What BOOK?" Squall yelled. He looked around and saw several candles around the room. Selphie lit each one. "RINOA!"

"Okay..." Rinoa said as she opened up a thick book she got from the library. "Let's see...okay...candles, check. Blessed water..."

"Check!" Selphie shouted.

"Sacred herbs?"

"Check!"

"Dagger?"

"WHAT?"

"Check!"

"Wait a second!" Squall shouted as he paled. "What do you MEAN DAGGER? What are you going to do with a DAGGER?" he demanded.

"We have to make small cuts on your chest to perform the exorcism," Rinoa told him coolly. "Don't worry, they won't hurt...I think..." she added in a whispered voice. Squall looked down and realized he was wearing only his boxers and groaned. He closed his eyes and willed himself to wake up from the dream. It HAD to be a dream. "Where was I? Oh yeah, rocks from a volcano?"

"Check!"

"Rinoa! Rinoa! Stop this!" Squall shouted from the bed. He turned to look at her. "All right! I'm sorry! I'm not a vampire! I heard you the other night and thought it would be a good payback to scare you after that whole handcuff thing! I'm NOT a vampire! SO LET ME GO!"

Rinoa looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. "I almost believe you, Squall, I really do..."

"Oh, Hyne!" Squall exclaimed. "Rinoa! I'm serious! This isn't funny! I'm not a vampire!"

"I know you're not, Squall," Rinoa told him softly. She lifted her hand up to her chest and patted her the area of her heart. "Deep down, you're still MY Squall. That's why I'm doing this."

"Rinoa!"

"Selphie, I'm ready to perform the exorcism," Rinoa said as she looked at her friend. "You may leave the room now."

"Are you going to be okay?" Selphie asked worriedly. Rinoa nodded.

"No matter how much screaming you hear, don't come in. I can't be disturbed or we'll loose Squall forever." Rinoa told her. Selphie nodded and gave Rinoa a hug.

"Good luck."

Quietly, the girl left the room and closed the door behind her. Rinoa looked back at Squall and lifted the dagger. She took a deep breath, tears in her eyes. "No matter what happens, know one thing..."

"Rinoa, wait!" Squall pleaded as she held the dagger over his chest. "I'm NOT a VAMPIRE!"

She closed her eyes tightly and brought the dagger down. "I love you."

* * *

Selphie skipped down the stairs and in the living room where Irvine was watching some DVDs from Rinoa's father's collection. He heard her coming down and lifted his head and smiled. "How's the 'exorcism' going?" he asked, slightly amused.

"So far so good," Selphie giggled as she fell down next to him on the couch. "Still...I think Rinoa's taking it a little too far."

"Yeah, I'm kind of afraid that when this is all over, Squall is going to kill me." Irvine admitted.

Selphie giggled some more and poked his arm. "Well, you're the one who agreed to join him in his little prank. Just be lucky Rinoa blames Squall."

"I know...but he's still going to be pissed when he realizes that she knows and is only 'exorcising' him to get back at him," Irvine shook his head and put his arm around Selphie's tiny shoulders. "I told him it was a bad idea..."

Selphie nodded and snuggled against him. "Hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned."


	26. Selling Souls

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Six: Selling Souls_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Don't forget this is my pointless story, guys! It won't be updated often when I'm working on another one. It's typically on the back burner...(please don't send me hate mail).

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"Squall..." Rinoa cooed softly as she squeezed his arm lovingly and nuzzled her head against his shoulder. "Are you still mad?" She looked up at him, her eyes large and innocent as she blinked slowly and pleading at him.

He didn't even turn his head to look at her. His lips her held in a tight frown as he looked straight ahead, his jaws still clenched, unwilling to speak to her. "..."

Rinoa's head dropped and she moaned. "I guess so..."

Behind them, a group leaned against the metal railing of the zoo exhibit. Selphie swallowed her pink cotton candy and frowned. "I think he should forgive her now," Selphie whispered to the group. "It's been a week."

"Psh...are you nuts? Puberty Boy isn't going to break any time soon after what she pulled on him," Seifer snorted proudly. "As far as I'm concerned, Rinoa's got it coming."

"It was a bit drastic, don't you think?" Quistis asked, concerned. "I mean, he could've seriously gotten hurt."

"Aww...but you know Rin wouldn't do that!" Selphie piped up defensively. "Besides, he started it with that vampire thing!"

"But Rinoa didn't get hurt," Quistis said as she looked back at the couple in front of them. Rinoa was hugging Squall tightly and telling him how much she loved him. "You know, she hasn't said sorry yet."

"That's because she's NOT sorry," Irvine chuckled. "When I got there and told Rinoa, she was fuming. I was afraid she'd Angel Wing Squall's ass."

Seifer snickered. "That would've been funny."

"Seifer..." Quistis frowned. She sighed and looked at her watch. "We better get going..." She pushed herself up from the railing and took a step forward. "Rinoa! Squall! Come on! Let's go. Our train leaves soon and the zoo is going to close!"

Rinoa looked back up at Squall. "Squall? Squall..." Rinoa pleaded as she tugged on his arm. "Come on...Quistis says it's time to go."

Squall stood there silently. His blue eyes fixated on the cuddly panda eating bamboo before him. He hadn't moved from his spot in over an hour and Rinoa was starting to get annoyed. She had pleaded, pouted, yelled at him. Nothing made him move.

"We're heading towards the exit!" Quistis said as she began to usher everyone towards the front gate. "We'll meet you two out there! If you're not out there in fifteen minutes, we're leaving without you!"

"Squall," Rinoa began and looked back at the young Captain. She pouted and frowned. "Fine! Be that way! You've been such a meanie for the last week. If you're going to be like that, you can stay here with your beloved PANDA!"

She whirled around and stomped after their friends. Squall glanced over his shoulder as she left him standing alone at the panda exhibit and let out a tired breath. Surely, she was suffering by now.

'And she deserves it.' Squall thought to himself as he turned around and slowly walked after her. He had been scared out of his wits when the knife came down, only to implant itself less than a centimeter from his rib cage. He had let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding it and turned to look over at Rinoa.

She stood above him, a devious smirk on her face. "A vampire, huh?" she spat out, obviously angry. "You thought you really had me, didn't you?"

Then he made the mistake of answering. "I did have you."

Everything else happened in a blur. The next thing he knew, he was running down the hall way being chased out of the mansion by the fuming mad General of the Galabian Army, who had dropped the sandwich he was snacking on. He then let out a murder cry before running after him. He had been caught running out of Rinoa's bedroom clad in nothing by a long bed sheet around his body.

Rinoa was screaming behind him and the over protective father apparently came to the conclusion that Squall and not only broken into his home, but attempted to defile his daughter.

After being shot at and escaping back to the hotel, Squall refused to speak to Rinoa the rest of the trip. Even when she cried. Squall frowned. She still hadn't said she was sorry and he had heard the other say it was because she wasn't. Squall walked out of the exhibit and into the main road. Several other zoo visitors were heading towards the front gate and he followed after them.

As he walked past the gate, a few workers saw him and started snickering and pointing. Squall struggled to keep from attacking them as he heard whispers of 'guano-man' and 'bat boy'.

"Look, here comes Batman now!" Seifer's voice boomed the second Squall stepped out of the gates. The stoic look on Squall's face immediately turned into a scowl as Irvine and Seifer's laughter reached his ears. Even Selphie was giggling slightly, but was trying to hide it.

"Now that we're all here, we can head over to the train station," Quistis said. "The tram for the station is going to leave soon, so everyone on board!"

"Yes, mother." Seifer mumbled with a roll of his eyes. The female blond quickly hit his arm and dragged him on board the zoo tram to the train station.

Squall sat in the back of the tram and was instantly joined with a smiling brown eyed brunette. "Hi, Squall!"

'Don't even try it...' he thought to himself as he promptly ignored her.

"Squall, are you still mad?" she asked for the billionth time.

'Yes.' he mentally answered.

"You deserved it you know," Rinoa told him proudly. "You shouldn't have tricked me like that."

Squall suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. 'Like it was MY fault that I got chased by your father all around Deling City.'

"I can't believe you even sneaked into my room like that. AND were thinking of doing...you know...it. Especially when I was terrified of you!" Rinoa gasped. Squall frowned. "I really thought you had lost it. I was so scared and you kept pushing me-"

"You make me sound like a rapist," Squall spat out. "You know I wouldn't really do anything to hurt you."

Rinoa looked up at him and blinked. "You talked!" she gasped. Squall narrowed his eyes and turned away from her. "You talked to me! Aww...you're not mad any more!" she beamed.

"I am still mad-" Squall began as he turned around to glare at her. Her arms were thrown around his neck as she planted her lips on his.

"I knew you wouldn't stay mad forever!" Rinoa said as she pulled away, still clinging to me. She smiled and kissed his cheek softly. "I love you, Squall!"

"Aww...isn't that just the cutest most disgusting thing you've ever seen?" Seifer snorted from the seats in front of them. Rinoa pulled away and glared at her manager. "Hyne, get a room. Your slobber is getting all over the place."

Rinoa growled at him and stuck her tongue out as Squall wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not slobbering!" She told him defensively as she clung on to Squall. "You're just jealous because Quistis isn't paying attention to you."

Seifer laughed defiantly and sent her a challenging look. "I can get Quistis' attention ANYTIME I want," Seifer snapped. "Watch! Quistis!"

"No, I don't think we have to check anything else in. Although we might want to check on the dogs before we board the train," Quistis was saying to Irvine and Selphie, who were sitting in front of her and Seifer. "That's IF they haven't already been loaded into the train already."

"Quistis!" Seifer called out again. The slender female next to him didn't seem to hear him as she talked to their neighbors. "Hey! Quistis!"

"Not now, Seifer! We're trying to figure out something!" Quistis snapped quickly over her shoulder before turning back to her friends. "So where were we? Oh yes, the leashes..."

Seifer growled as he fell back against the hard plastic seats and fumed. Rinoa tapped him on the shoulder and grinned from ear to ear. "I see her world revolves around you, as usual." Rinoa told him sarcastically.

"Do you WANT me to book you for that underwear ad?" Seifer grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at her laughing face. "Because I WILL book you for that underwear ad."

"Yeah, yeah..." Rinoa fell back against Squall and grinned. "Let's face it, you've settled into that state in your relationship were everything is settled."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that I'm BORING?"

"Not in so little words..."

Seifer hissed behind gritted teeth. "If you didn't pay me..."

* * *

The door slid closed and Squall nearly fell out of his seat. A loud, highly irritated growl echoed in the Garden apartment, making the two dogs run for cover under the table as Rinoa entered. Squall looked up from his desk and frowned.

"Rinoa, what's the matter?" Squall asked as he stood up. Rinoa stomped into the living room and threw herself over the couch. Her face was buried in the cushions as she mumbled out something. Squall rolled his eyes. "I can't hear you..."

He knelt down next to where her head had been buried and watched as she turned her face to look at him. "Seifer's fired!"

Before he had another chance to question her, she buried her face back into the couch cushions. Squall sighed and reached over her, flipping her on her back with ease. "Why is Seifer fired? Not that I care."

Rinoa turned bright red as she turned her head away. "He...he...he booked me for something that I didn't want to do!" Rinoa whined. Squall raised an eye brow.

"What is he making you do?"

Rinoa looked down and sniffled. "Modeling.."

Squall looked at her and frowned. "That's IT?"

"What do you MEAN that's it?" Rinoa exploded as she dropped her hands from her face and faced him with an accusing look.

"Rinoa, it's just clothing," Squall said as he stood up. "You're a singer," he told her he turned his back on her and headed back to his desk. "You should be used to those photo shoots and the cameras and clothing."

Rinoa quickly shook her head from side to side. "You don't understand!" she shouted frustratedly as she sat up on the couch. "It's not just...it's not exactly CLOTHING!"

"What is it then?" Squall asked as he sat back at his desk and began to go over all the files he had been working on. "Jewelry? Shoes?" He couldn't help but smirk. "Swimsuits?"

"Psh...I wish!" Rinoa fumed. "I might as well be naked!"

Squall stiffened in his chair and Rinoa smirked, knowing she hit a nerve. He had paused in the middle of opening a file, but quickly recovered. "Naked? What are you modeling?"

"He said 'lingerie'!" Rinoa whined. Squall raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Is that all? Rin, you'll be fine."

"I don't want to model THOSE!" Rinoa gasped. "Don't you know what this means, Squall? My practically naked body will be advertising underwear all over the known world!"

'I don't know why she's complaining. She has a whole drawer filled with that stuff...' Squall thought to himself, amused, as he continued to do his work. "What are you modeling? A night gown or something? Maybe one of those lace things your wore on my birthday." Rinoa frowned.

Rinoa turned to her bag and dug through. She took out a small pink bag and stood up. As she walked over to Squall she dug around the bag and pulled out something. Squall felt her brush up against his left side and dangled something in front of him. "This."

Slowly, Squall's blue eyes rose and was met with a tiny black strip of lace cloth. His mind ran through all the names of female clothing he could possibly come up with that might have described it before commenting. "One of those garters?"

"No, Squall," Rinoa told him. She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around to face her. She held the black cloth in her hands. "See this?" She asked as she held it up. Squall nodded. "It goes HERE." She pulled the cloth below her belly button.

"And what does it hold up?" Squall asked, confused.

"Nothing."

Squall frowned. "What does it go over...?"

Rinoa smirked as he paled. "Nothing."

* * *

"I'm sure we can work out something," Seifer said into his cell phone as he walked down the corridor of the Garden on his way to meet up with Quistis for dinner. "Don't worry, I've got a plan-hey!"

Seifer suddenly found himself pushed up against the walls of the Garden, a steady hand grasping the collar of his shirt tightly. "Explain THIS." Squall spat out venomously as he lifted the all too revealing thong in his free hand up to Seifer's face.

The blond merely raised and eye brow and brought the cell phone back to his ear. "Valentine? Yeah, we'll talk to later. Something came up."

"Seifer! What the hell is THIS?" Squall growled as Seifer snapped his phone closed and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

Seifer casually lowered his emerald eyes to the cloth and smirked. "I do believe that's a thong, Captain. I didn't know you wore them. You always seemed like a tidy whities kind of guy."

Squall grip tightened and lifted Seifer up higher against the wall. "Rinoa just told me that you're making her model this...this...THING! You better pray that she heard wrong."

"Relax Puberty Boy," Seifer snorted as Squall lowered him down. Seifer pried Squall's hand from his collar and quick fixed it. "I'm not making her model anything."

Squall narrowed his eyes and nodded and was about to step away. "All right-"

"Technically, it's the designer that's coming up with what she'll be wearing. That's just one of the thongs that she'll be wearing for the shoot." Seifer smirked.

Instantly, Squall's look turned feral as he whirled around, about to reach out and grab Seifer again when the blond stepped back and raised his hands up to fend him off. "She's not doing the shoot!"

"It's too late, she signed the paper work," Seifer informed him. "No way we can break it. The fines for breaking the contract that pretty steep."

"I don't care, I'll pay them myself if I have to." Squall hissed.

Seifer shook his head. "That's not the way it works, Puberty Boy. Fact of the matter is, that if Rin doesn't model, she could loose other sponsors, as well as be sued...it'll make her look bad in the industry and THAT is something we can't afford."

"She doesn't want to parade around wearing this...THING," Squall snapped. His teeth were gritted as icy blue eyes glared daggers at a calm looking Seifer. "I HIGHLY suggest you find a way to BREAK the contract."

"There is no way to BREAK it." Seifer told him confidently.

"I swear to Hyne Seifer-" Squall began to threaten and Seifer smirked.

"BUT," the tall blond told him coolly. "We can bargain for a change in the work..."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? You can change what Rinoa wears?"

"Not exactly," Seifer said. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't all that happy that she was modeling the summer lingerie line for Valentine. Rin's like my little sister, you know. But you just can't say NO to Vincent Valentine. When he asks you to model, he doesn't ASK. He EXPECTS you to. So, you should understand why we can't just break it off."

"Get to the point, Almasy." Squall hissed behind gritted teeth.

Seifer chuckled. "I happen to know that Valentine is expanding it's men's line and he's tired of all his usual models. You know...those guys from ShinRa...that blond teen heart throb that plays blitz ball...it's all played out. He wants someone NEW and FRESH. Someone edgy and demands attention for his latest line."

Squall narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where this was going and took a cautious step back. 'Crap...tell me he's not implying...'

"But I'll put this in simple words," Seifer said with a smirk. "I can talk Valentine into using YOU to model instead of Rinoa."

Squall stared at him, unable to believe what he was being asked to do. He glared at him and replied with a straight to the point word. "No."

"All right, Rinoa runs around in nearly transparent fronted pair of butt floss then," Seifer reminded him. Squall cringed at the thought of HIS Rinoa's baby smooth butt plastered on a billboard. Seifer made note of Squall's paling face. "Do we have a deal?"

Squall frowned and slowly raised his hand. Seifer snatched it and shook it firmly. Squall suddenly had an empty feeling inside, like he had just sold his soul. "I have one request." Squall stated simply.

"Let's hear it, Captain Puberty."

"If I'm going down," Squall stated simply. "I'm not going down alone."

* * *

"Thank you!" Rinoa threw her arms around Squall and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much! Oh, Squall! I don't know what I'd do without you! I love you so much, Squall!" She practically chanted as she showered his face with kisses.

"Whatever..." Squall grumbled out.

Rinoa pulled away from him and smiled. "I can't believe you talked him out of it! I've been trying to do that for hours and he kept saying that it was too late! But you got him to listen to you! Thank you so much, Squall! I don't think I could've paraded around topless in see through panties in front of a crowd like that. I mean...I'm not shy or anything, but...you know...even I have my limits."

Squall nodded dumbly. 'I'm going to model...oh Hyne, why did I do that? What in the world possessed me to say yes?' He inwardly groaned and nearly slammed his head against the nearest wall.

"So how'd you get him to stop the ad?" Rinoa asked.

"What?" Squall asked as he turned to look at her. Rinoa gave him an enthusiastic look.

"How did you get Seifer to stop the ad?" she repeated.

Squall shook his head. "The ad isn't cancelled." he told her in a low voice as he stepped around her. Rinoa frowned and turned around.

"What do you mean it's not cancelled?" Rinoa gasped. "You just told me that-"

"I said that you're not modeling any more." Squall told her.

"Yes..." Rinoa nodded as she followed him into the bedroom. "Meaning that it's cancelled...right?"

Squall stopped in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. He turned around and looked her straight in the eyes. "It's not cancelled, Rinoa. The models were just...replaced."

Rinoa's eyes narrowed slightly as she let his words be processed in her mind. Slowly, her eyes widened and she made a little 'o' with her mouth. "Squall..." she gasped out as she took a step forward and put her hand on his chest. "Are you...? Did you take my place?" she gasped worriedly.

Squall's face turned red and he nodded. "You said you didn't want to model that and if you don't feel comfortable doing it, you shouldn't have to-"

"Squall..." Rinoa said softly as she raised her hands and cupped his face. "You..."

"I don't want you to have to do something you don't want to do," he repeated again. Rinoa's eyes were soft as she looked up at him. "I wanted to do this." he added, just in case she refused to let him.

Rinoa ran her hand through his thick brown hair, relishing the feeling of his thick locks between her fingers. "Oh Squall..." she whispered slowly. "You're going to look so hot in Vincent's men's line!" she gushed suddenly, throwing Squall completely off guard.

"What." he demanded quickly.

"I can't believe you're going to model! This is GREAT!" Rinoa gasped as she pulled away. "I've got to call Selphie and Quistis! Oh my Hyne, this is so cool! You're a MODEL now! I can't wait to tell the others! They'll be so jealous..."

Rinoa rambled on and on as she ran out of the bedroom, leaving Squall standing there, staring at the stop where she had been standing. He narrowed his hands. He felt that he just sold his soul...but for some reason, he suddenly felt that the devil was currently in his living room using the phone. Squall let out a tired breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Hyne, you hate me, don't you?"


	27. He's Too Sexy

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Seven: He's Too Sexy_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: My favorite line in this chapter is definitely "What is it about leather pants that make women want to spank you?" Hehehe...

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

The ringing had been going on for Hyne knew how long. The limp figure, sprawled out on his stomach across a messy bed groaned. A toned arm emerged from the piles of sheets that wrapped around his body in strange ways as it headed for the night stand by his bed.

"Ugh...hello?" Irvine lifted up the first object he grabbed in his room tiredly. He brought it to his head.

Selphie, who had dropped by his room after walking Irvy, rolled her eyes. "Irvy, you're talking to your alarm clock."

"What?" Irvine squinted and turned his head towards the phone. Sure enough, he was looking into the flashing numbers that said it was 8:03 AM. "Ugh..."

"I got it," Selphie sighed. She plopped down on the bed next to him, making the bed bounce slightly as she reached for the phone. Irvine mumbled a thanks and returned to his rest. "Hello! This is the room of Selphie's man slave-"

"Give me that!" Irvine gasped he shot up from bed. Selphie laughed and jumped off the bed, watching with amusement as Irvine struggled to untangle himself from the sheets.

"Who is this?" Selphie giggled as Irvine rolled off the bed and landed on the floor with a loud thump.

"AH! Who left this shoe here?" Irvine yelled.

"Selphie, this Squall. Let me speak to Irvine." a deep, slightly annoyed voice ordered.

"Sorry, Squall," Selphie piped as Irvine sat up and pulled his boot out from underneath his back. He glared at it dangerously. "Oh...okay...it serious?" Selphie asked, a slightly worried tone in her voice. Irvine snapped his head up and frowned. "All right...Yeah...bye." Selphie hung up the phone and looked at Irvine.

"What?" Irvine said. He stood up, holding the sheets up to his nude waist as he ran his hand through his tangled red-brown locks. "What did Squall say?"

"He wants to talk to you. He said it's a mission," Selphie tossed the phone on his bed. "He wants you to report to his office in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"How dare he?" Seifer growled as he hung upside down on a metal bar in the indoor gym of his house. His knees were bent over the bar, holding him up as his muscles contracted and pulled him up for his ninety-eighth sit up. "He undermined my authority, Quistis! He has NO RIGHT!"

Quistis was leaning against the door frame wearing an oversized T-shirt that belonged to the blond hanging upside down. Her feet were clad in fluffy slippers as she held a bowl of cereal was in one hand and a spoon in the other. "Well," she said as she swallowed a spoonful of corn flakes. "Who told you to give him Vincent's number?"

"I didn't give it to him!" Seifer growled. He gritted his teeth as sweat dripped down his body, matting down his golden hair. The contours of his chest and stomach glistened with fresh sweat as mumbled out 'ninety-nine'.

Quistis paused in mid spoonful and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did I just DREAM seeing you hand him the contract saying that you couldn't do anything about it and if he wanted to change it, he'd have to call Vincent himself?" Quistis chewed and ate her spoonful. "That was quite a vivid dream."

"Hundred!" Seifer's muscular arms reached up and grabbed the bar before flipping himself down. He took a second to steady himself before bending over to pick up his towel and run it down his face. "You are supposed to be on MY side, Quisty."

"I am," Quistis sighed. Seifer walked past her, kissing her briefly on he forehead just to watch her face scrunch up when his sweat dripped on her. "Must you?"

"I thought you liked it when I kissed you."

"Not when you're drenched in your own sweat," Quistis grumbled. She followed him into their kitchen. "At any rate, you did make the deal."

Seifer slammed his hands on the marble counter top of the island as he turned to look at her. "I didn't think he was going to include ME in the deal!" Seifer growled. He turned and pulled open the refrigerator door. "I figured he hated me, so he wouldn't want to spend any time around me, therefore I wouldn't have to do it."

"Ah, but because he 'hates' you, he figured that you wouldn't like this and so has roped you into it as a form of punishment," Quistis grinned as she leaned back against the island counter top and put her bowl down. "You never think deep enough, honey."

"You think too much for the both of us," Seifer grumbled as he pulled out some orange juice. Quistis slid him a cup. "Thanks..."

"Although...I am kind of glad you're doing this," Quistis admitted as he poured some juice into his cup. "I mean...you'll be a model. An UNDERWEAR model. That's kind of a turn on."

Seifer paused in the middle of pouring his juice. "But you can see me in my underwear anytime you want," Seifer told her. "How is my modeling any different?" He lifted the glass to his lips and began to chug the liquid down.

"Bragging rights," Quistis grinned. "Now, when I go to the mall with the girls, I can point to a billboard and say 'See the blond? I'm doing him.'"

Seifer choked on the juice and quickly pulled the cup away as a thin stream of yellow-orange citrus trickled down the side of his mouth. His eyes fastened on her with a look of disbelief. "Did I just hear right?" He put his glass down and wiped the sound of his mouth. "You want to make good on that?"

Quistis smiled sweetly. "First take the pictures," she smiled as she walked up to him and put her arms around his neck. "Then we'll talk."

* * *

Zell slipped his head through the doorway cautiously. Even before he turned the door knob he could feel the tension. Sitting on the two leather chairs in front of Squall's desk were Irvine and Seifer. Irvine looked slightly worried while Seifer was somewhat seething.

"Zell," Squall's commanding voice got his attention and the blonde's head perked up. Squall was leaning back against his chair calmly. "Come in."

Zell swallowed nervous and slipped into the room. He stood behind Seifer and Irvine warily and Squall sat up straight. "Okay, Zell is here, now what the heck is this mission you wanted to see us about?" Irvine asked.

"Mission?" Zell asked as he jerked his head back. He had merely come because Rinoa caught up with him in the hall and told him that he had to go to Squall's office. He glanced over at Seifer. "Then what's HE doing here?"

"Psh..." Seifer snorted as he rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I'd rather not be here, either."

"It's not so much a mission. But I'll get straight to the point. Tomorrow morning, you two will be modeling along with Seifer and myself." Squall told them bluntly.

Squall stiffened and awaited their reaction. Seifer rolled his eyes and mentally counted down. Irvine and Zell were silent. Then...

"AHAHAHAH!"

"I told you they'd laugh." Seifer grumbled. Squall kept a serious look on his face as Irvine fell back against the chair and burst into laughter. Zell leaned heavily against the wall as he held his stomach.

"No, really," Irvine said as he struggled to keep his laughter in check. "What's the mission?"

"That IS your mission." Squall told them simply.

Zell looked up at Squall as if he were crazy. "Are you serious?"

"He's serious," Seifer told them. He reached across the desk and lifted up some sheets of paper. "See this? It's called a contract. Squall signed your bodies away to model for Vincent Valentine's latest men's line in place of Rinoa doing a lingerie ad."

"Men's line?" Irvine snorted. "That doesn't sound so bad. For a second there, I thought-"

Seifer and Squall looked at each other before looking back at the two others men. "His men's UNDERWEAR line." A second later, the door swung open with a loud thump and a blue and red blur flew out.

"Zell! Zell get back here!" Squall growled as the usually perky blond ran out of the room.

"NO!" Zell yelled, his face bright red. "I don't want to!"

"It's too late!" Seifer yelled as he ran after the shorter blond. "If Squall's bringing me down, I'm bringing YOU down, chicken-wuss!"

Squall looked over at Irvine, who, surprisingly, was sitting quietly in his chair. He had a pensive look on his face. "You can't get out of it." Squall told him before he had any chance of arguing.

"Oh, I know." Irvine mumbled thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin. Squall narrowed his eyes.

"So why are you so quiet? You're not against it or anything?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I'm just wondering..." Irvine mumbled. He looked up at Squall seriously. "Do you think that Mr. Valentine will let me wear my hat?"

* * *

'Make her stop...its unnerving...Hyne, why will she not stop?' Squall's mind was screaming. He finally whirled around after fifteen minutes of feeling Rinoa's brown eyes boring into his back. "What?" he growled out defensively as he stood in a make shift changing area.

Rinoa jerked her head back and shook her head. She lifted her head to meet his gaze and smiled. "Nothing," she told him truthfully. "I just think that they look good on you."

Immediately, his face turned bright red as he turned around. "Do you HAVE to look?"

"Oh please," Rinoa scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She stood up and pushed the folding chair back against the wall. She walked over to Squall and took his arm. "I've seen you WITHOUT those and frankly, with or without those things, you look good."

"Umm...thanks..." Squall blushed. Rinoa giggled and pulled away.

"You look just as yummy as you do in your hot leather pants." She smirked as she gently slapped his behind. Squall blushed evermore.

"What is it about leather pants that make women want to spank you...?" he mumbled as she giggled again.

"I'm going to go wait outside with the others." she informed him casually.

"Others?" Squall asked, whirling around. A frown was set on his face and Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah, Selphie, Quistis, and Shizuka are all here to watch you guys."

Squall frowned even more. "I was told this was a closed shoot," Squall grumbled, remembering his earlier conversation with the man in charge of scheduling. "Why are they here?"

"Each model gets to bring one person and you can see where that went. There is also Vincent and Vincent's assistant, Yuffie," Rinoa paused and smiled. "Don't worry, though. She's obsessed with Vincent, so she won't even give you a second glance."

Squall studied her face disbelievingly, but nodded. "All right, fine," he mumbled. "At least Valentine takes his own pictures..."

"He's a very hands on designer," Rinoa assured him. "I'll see you out side!"

Squall nodded and looked back at the mirror in front of him. He glared at his reflection as the dark blue jockey briefs clung to his hips and thighs. He turned around slowly. 'Does my butt really look like that?'

"Mr. Leonhart!" a high pitched female voice piped from outside the stall changing area. "Vincent would like you to come out now."

Squall grumbled and ran his hand down his face. He took a deep breath and hesitantly slipped out of the changing area. In front of him was a white background that reached the floor. There were four girls seated in chairs to the side talking. Rinoa lifted her head when she noticed him and waved energetically. Upon seeing their friend's lively waving, the other three girls turned and looked over at him. They smiled and also waved.

Squall groaned and wanted to bury himself under a rock. "Shoot me."

"That's the plan," a deep voice said. Squall felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and he looked up. A tall man stood over him dressed in dark red-black leather pants. Black boots were clad on his feet as long black hair fell over broad shoulders covered in a blood red, sleeveless turtle neck. "We haven't met yet, but we have talked. I'm Vincent Valentine."

"Mr. Valentine," Squall nodded his head and extended his hand to shake Vincent's. Cold metal greeted him and Squall almost jumped as his blue eyes laid on the metal claws. "What happened to your hand?"

"Sewing machine accident," Vincent told him coolly. "Now, if you're ready. I'd like you stand in front of the white back drop."

Squall nodded once more and walked out, barefooted and clad only in boxer briefs. As he walked past the girls seated on the chairs, his blood rushed to his face. He could see the girls lean closer to each other and whisper. He also saw the unmistakable look of pride in Rinoa's eyes as she told them "Oh yeah, that's definitely not stuffed."

Squall groaned and ran his hand down his face. 'I'm doing this for Rinoa. I'm doing this for Rinoa...' he told himself as he turned around and faced the designer. All around him, he heard the upbeat tempo of remixed music meant to pump up the models. So far it, was failing. He took a deep breath. "Now what?"

"Since you're a novice, I'm not expecting much. Just move around as you would normally." Vincent said as he crouched down and began to take pictures.

Squall merely lifted an eyebrow in question and looked around warily. Vincent waited for him to relax, but it didn't happen. The young Captain had the stage presence of a broom. "Umm...Mr. Leonhart, you're kind of tense. You should relax." Yuffie told him from the sidelines.

"Squall, are you that nervous?" Rinoa asked casually from her chair. Squall glanced over at her with a look that stated the obvious. Rinoa giggled and scratched the back of her head. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Maybe we should go behind a screen or something," Quistis suggested. "Squall looks a little pale."

"No, he just doesn't see the sun enough."

"Rinoa!" Squall gasped as he turned beet red.

"What?" the singer shrugged. "It's true."

Squall groaned and ran his hand down his face again. "Hyne..."

"Mr. Leonhart, can you just walk back and forth. Try to stretch your arms behind your neck...as if you were preparing for sparing." Vincent suggested.

"Fine..." Squall grumbled. Looking highly annoyed, he walked stiffly back and forth until Vincent finally put his camera down and frowned. "Is it OVER now?"

"I'm not getting what I wanted," Vincent told him tonelessly. "Just have a seat for now."

'Finally...' Squall thought to himself. 'Maybe if I just suck enough, he won't take my picture any more. Hmmm... that's not a bad idea...'

Squall began to walk away when there was a loud crash. Everyone in the room looked up just as someone yelled. "I'll KILL you, KINNEAS!"

"Irvine! That's not funny! Give it back!" Zell's pleading voice could be heard.

Just as he said that, Irvine emerged from around the corner, where the other dressing stalls were. "Irvine?" Selphie gasped as her face turned red.

Clad in nothing more than dark purple Speedo's...and his hat, the gun toting cowboy rounded the corner waving a two Polaroid pictures in the air along with one camera in his hand. "Selphie, catch!" he shouted as he tossed them over to the girl.

Instinctively, Selphie ran over and caught the pictures and camera just as Zell, in white briefs, and Seifer, in dark red silk boxers, appeared. They didn't bother acknowledging the presence of the female spectators as their sights zoned into Irvine, who was laughing as he ran behind Squall.

"Where is it?" Seifer growled. "I swear to Hyne if that gets out, Kinneas-"

"What is that?" Quistis asked as she looked over Selphie's shoulder at the pictures.

"Irvine, that was messed up!" Zell exclaimed as they surrounded Squall and Irvine. "I didn't even know you HAD a camera!"

"I borrowed from Selphie!" Irvine grinned.

"Irvine, what the hell did you do?" Squall growled, annoyed as he looked over his shoulder. Irvine was crouching behind him, his hands on Squall's shoulders and physically moving him to block off the other two.

"Whoa! Zell...nice butt!" Selphie shouted suddenly. Immediately, the tattooed blond turned bright red as he froze in his spot.

"Oh my!" Shizuka gasped. She blushed as her hand darted out and grabbed the picture from Selphie. "Is it all right if I keep this?"

"Shizuka!" Zell whined as he turned to look at her, as if betrayed.

"It IS a nice picture of your butt, Zell..." the librarian told him weakly.

"And what do we have here...?" Quistis asked as she raised an eyebrow and lifted the Polaroid of a certain six foot tall blond male.

"Hey!" Seifer growled as he turned crimson. "Quistis!"

"I knew I was marrying him for SOMETHING," Quistis smirked deviously. She glanced over at the other women. "You want to see!"

"No!" Seifer growled. He whirled around, seething as he glared at Irvine. "You're DEAD!" With that he lunged forward.

"Seifer - NO!" Squall growled as he lifted his arms up. Irvine let out a shout of surprise as he shoved Squall forward to protect him. Squall stumbled forward and collided with Seifer's nearly naked body. However, Seifer's sheer force pushed him backwards.

Irvine looked up and his eyes widened as he saw Squall's body flying towards him. "Oh crap-"

"Look out!" Zell shouted.

Three bodies fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Naked limbs.

"Irvine..." Squall growled as he opened his eyes. He had fallen across Irvine's stomach and the small of his back rested a little too close to the cowboy's nether regions. Seifer was sprawled over Squall's body, his head on Squall's bare stomach while the rest of him was laying right between Squall's spread legs.

"Ugh..." Irvine groaned.

Seifer narrowed his eyes when he heard the clicking. His eyes widened as he lifted his head and saw the flashing of camera lights. Pale skin grew even paler as he realized what was going on. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he shrieked.

Vincent was kneeling down, his finger on the shutter as he circled the tangled pretty boys with a camera in hand. "This will do nicely..."

There was a brief pause within the tangle of men as they struggled to process what was happening. Selphie's eyes darted around quickly before taking a quick shot of them and hiding the camera behind her. Slowly, the three men's eyes met.

"Ah!" Irvine yelled as he shoved Squall off upon the realization of his situation. Seifer rolled to the side as Squall scrambled to get up. Irvine wrapped his arms around himself and began to shiver as he stared straight ahead of him, a terrified look his face. "No one saw that...that didn't happen...NOTHING happened!"

Yuffie sighed, disappointed. "So much for hot yaoi action..."

"Yeah..." the other girls chorused in equally disappointed tones.

"This is all your fault!" Seifer yelled as he turned to glare at Irvine.

"My fault?" Irvine retorted as he stood up. "You're the one who tackled Squall and shoved him on me!"

"You're the one who shoved him first!"

"You're the one who attacked me!"

"You used him as a shield!"

"You shouldn't have made me!"

"You wouldn't have HAD to if you didn't take those damn pictures!" Seifer screamed back.

Squall stood to the side, his head hung low. 'I was in between Irvine and Seifer...I was sandwiched between Irvine and Seifer...Hyne, if you have ANY mercy, please do not let anyone else hear about this...' Rinoa looked over at him. He was so uncomfortable and now, he'd just been in the middle of a man-sandwich...a practically naked man-sandwich.

"Squall...?" a soft voice asked. He lifted his head and saw Rinoa standing there. She smiled warmly at him, reminding him of the very reason he agreed to the shoot in the first place. "Thanks."

Before he could reply, Vincent's booming voice cut through the group. "Done."

"What?" Zell asked as he turned to look at the older man. "Already? I haven't even gotten to model yet."

"I have what I need," the mysterious designer told them as he handed Yuffie his camera. "I'll have my people come pick up the rest of the equipment tomorrow."

"What about the pictures?" Seifer asked with a frown.

"I'll send you some proofs in the mail," Vincent said over his shoulder as a he lifted up a heavy red coat and gracefully put it on. "Let's go, Yuffie."

"Bye, everyone!" Yuffie gave a small wave and ran after her beloved Vincent. The door closed and everyone stared at it.

"Well...that was anticlimactic..." Selphie mumbled.

"Why don't you guys go change?" Rinoa suggested to the four men still standing around in their underwear. "As GREAT as the eye candy is, you guys look a little cold."

"Huh?" Irvine looked down and turned red. "AH!"

The four of them disappeared into the changing stalls and Rinoa looked over at Selphie. "I want a copy of that picture."

"Same here."

"Me, too."

Selphie smirked and took the picture out from behind her back. "Hehehe..."


	28. My Man is a Model

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Eight: My Man is a Model_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Well, I'm back from my several month hiatus...Thank you all for being so patient. :) Hugs and my own special homemade batch of flan to whoever can guess what happened at the end and who will be what character from my favorite Marvel franchise.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

"This is a nice restaurant, Squall," Rinoa commented as he pulled out a seat for her sit on. She smiled brilliantly as Squall walked around the little table and took a seat behind her. "Did it just open?"

"Yeah," he answered as he took his napkin and placed it on his lap. "Cid was talking about it at the last meeting."

Rinoa nodded as she looked around the dimly lit restaurant. It seemed very intimate with its' small tables and the couples dotted around the room. Soft live music wafted through the space from one corner of the room. Rinoa smiled. "It's nice...very...romantic." she dared to say.

She looked across from her and saw the slight blush on Squall's cheeks. His eyes were desperately looking anywhere in the room but at her. "Yeah," he mumbled again just as his hand darted out and took the glass of water off the table. He took a nervous gulp. "Ro...roman...romantic."

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Squall, are you okay?"

"Yes." he answered quickly and the young woman tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"You look nervous...is something wrong?"

"No!" he nearly shouted. He looked around when he realized his sudden outburst and shook his head. "No, I'm just...I'm fine." Unconsciously he stuck his hand back into his coat pocket and fumbled with the velvet box inside.

Rinoa frowned. "You're not okay," she stated simply. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Squall asked, his mind momentarily taken off the situation at hand. He looked at her, confused.

"Yes...tomorrow, remember?" Rinoa insisted. "The ads come out?"

Squall grimaced inwardly. How could he have forgotten? After all, he had spent much of the wait time since the photographs were taken dreading the inevitable.

"I don't want to see what he's done with the pictures." Squall grumbled.

"Well, I'M excited," Rinoa giggled excitedly. "Vincent ALWAYS makes the photographs work, no matter how little he may have. I have no doubt that this is going to be an excellent campaign."

"Yeah..." Squall rolled his eyes.

"So why did you want to go out tonight?" Rinoa asked suddenly. Squall's eyes widened. "Did something good happen at the Garden?"

His mind went through numerous excuses. "I just felt like going out." he shrugged.

"But we went out two days ago," Rinoa said. She leaned in forward and smirked. "Do you have something to ask me, Squall...?" she asked with a knowing look. Immediately, he stiffened in his seat. He felt his face flush.

'Did it get hot? I suddenly feel hot...this place must not have air conditioning...' He thought to himself as he looked around for air vent. "Why would you ask that? Are you expecting something?" he asked defensively.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "I'm just kidding, Squall...," she sighed. "You never ask me anything..." she mumbled underneath her breath.

Squall's hand played with the box in his pocket again. "Actually...there is something I want to ask you."

Rinoa sighed and leaned back against her seat. "I told you before, Squall, I don't know where your lucky boxers went. They're probably somewhere in the closet."

"It's not about my lucky boxers," Squall grumbled. He took a deep breath and reached out his free hand to take Rinoa's. "I have a serious question..."

Rinoa frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Squall said. "Rinoa..." He took his eyes off of hers for a moment and lifted the box from his pocket. He fumbled with it before popping it open and placing it on the table in front of her. "Will you marry me?"

"Why, Squall..." a deep voice replied. The brunette's head jerked up as his eyes went wide. He looked up and paled as he saw who sat across from him. "I didn't know you felt that way!"

A greened eyed blond sat across from him, seemingly topless as calloused, sword wielding fingers coiled themselves between his frozen ones. Squall's mouth dropped as Seifer lifted the box up and smirked. "Wha... wha..." Squall stammered as his face slowly turned green.

"Of course I accept!" Seifer beamed.

"AHH!" Squall pulled his arm back quickly and clutched it against him as if it were burned.

"What about me, Squall? Don't you love me?" Irvine's voice rang out to his left and Squall whipped his head around just in time to see an underwear clad cowboy pouting next to him.

"What the hell is going on?" Squall screamed.

"We'll be together," Seifer's sickeningly sweet voice rolled over him, making Squall break out in a cold sweat. "FOREVER..."

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rinoa's eyes flashed open as she felt the bed sheet she shared with Squall slid off her body. She heard a thump behind her and she rolled over.

"Squall?"

"Get away!" A terrified voice screamed from the floor. The brown haired female crawled over to the edge of the bed and sighed as she saw Squall on his back on the floor, tangled in sheets and clawing desperately in the air at the imaginary 'threats'.

"Oh great..." Rinoa grumbled as she scooted off the bed and headed to the bathroom. "It's like the third time this week..." She turned on the lights and grabbed the cup by the sink. She filled it with water and walked back outside in her shorts and tank top. She sighed as she stood over Squall and dumped the water over his face.

"AH!" The SeeD Captain sat up as water dripped down his face and his shirtless body. His shoulders were heaving with shallow breaths. Confused blue eyes darted around the room before landing on Rinoa's placid face.

"The proposal nightmare again?" Rinoa asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs.

Squall nodded dumbly and reached out to her. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and buried his face in her stomach. "They tried to kiss me." he whimpered.

"Yes, I'm sure they did." Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"And you just stood there and cheered them on." he mumbled again.

"I'm sure I would."

"It was horrible."

Rinoa ran her hand through his sweaty hair and caressed his back. "Squall...you really have to get over this. It was just two seconds where you landed on top of them. It was an accident."

"Rinoa," Squall said as he pulled away from her. "It was two seconds immortalized in photography. Do you know what will happen when those pictures reach the public?"

"Yes, all women will bow down and envy me because you're MINE," Rinoa grinned. "I can't wait."

"No," Squall grumbled. He sat down next to her and crossed his arms over his bare chest "Women will stalk me and it'll be just like after your music video. Maybe even men will join in."

"Oh, Squall, don't be silly," Rinoa laughed as she jumped back on her side of the bed and laid down. "They're just pictures. How bad can they possibly be?"

* * *

"Squall, you have a package." Xu's voice broke the silence of Squall's secluded office through the speaker phone, making the young Captain jump in his seat. His face burned with a blush as he struggled to get his mind out of the gutter. He shivered as he ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath to calm himself. He'd been jumpy for a while now.

Sighing, he reached over and pressed the button. "That's fine, who is it from?"

"I don't know, there's no return address, but it has two big black V's on the seal." Xu replied. Squall narrowed his eyes. Double V's? He suddenly froze and paled.

A second later, his office door swung open and Xu jumped back in her seat as he rushed to her desk. "Where is it?" he demanded. Xu raised the white cardboard package and Squall nearly snatched it out of her hands. He mumbled a quick thank you before rushing into his office. Once he was sure the door was closed and locked, he broke the red seal with the Double V insignia and reached in.

He stopped as he felt the glossy papers in his hand and took a deep breath. This was it. Over a month of waiting, nervously calling Rinoa about any news on the photographs, and silent prayer asking for the film to have been exposed and unusable, it was here.

Vincent Valentine's photographs.

Squall pulled out the stack of photographs and opened his eyes wide. The package they had come in fell to his feet.

Outside, Xu heard a thump and looked up. "Squall?" No answer. The secretary shrugged and continued her work.

* * *

Seifer walked through the doors of the house he shared with his fianc�e and tossed his jacket across the nearest piece of furniture, which happened to be the couch. "Quistis!" he shouted as he closed the door behind him and looked around the tastefully decorated abode. "Quistis! Are you home?"

There was no answer and Seifer looked around. Hanging off the back of one of the dining room chairs was a black pea coat that he recognized was the one that Quistis wore to work that morning. Meaning she must've already come home. Frowning as he fought down the dread that crept through his body, he walked down the hall and into the kitchen.

He instantly smelled food and glanced over at the stove. She had left a pot on the stove simmering. It smelled like chili. "Quistis?" he called out once more.

There was still no answer and Seifer was starting to grow worried. Then he heard it. A soft, feminine giggling coming from the deck outside. His eyes darted to the glass sliding door and found that it was open. The screen door was closed, but he could make out the blond instructor's head further out in her garden, talking to the neighbor.

Seifer allowed the relief to flood over him as he leaned against the counter. He ran his hand down his face and shook his head, marching outside.

"Quistis!" Seifer shouted as he slid the screen door open and stepped outside, a stern frown on his face. "Where were you? I've been calling all through the house and I thought you were dead!" he told her, trying to sound more angry that worried.

Quistis turned around and threw him a brilliant smile. "There you are!" Quistis said cheerfully as she stepped aside. "Seifer, you remember our neighbor, Mrs. Lanif, don't you?"

In truth he didn't, but he didn't want to embarrass Quistis. "Of course," he nodded and greeted Mrs. Lanif with a slight smile. "How are you doing, Mrs. Lanif?"

"Oh, I'm fine," the middle aged woman chuckled. Her beady dark eyes looked at Seifer up and down and the tall blond suddenly felt uncomfortable with the attention. Something he'd never had before. "Your fianc�e was just showing me some pictures of you."

A frown settled on his face as he tilted his head and looked from what woman to the other. "Pictures?" he asked. His eyes stayed on Quistis as she lifted up a white, flat cardboard package. "What pictures?"

"I must say," Mrs. Lanif laughed as she looked at the young couple. "She's very lucky to be marrying a model," A smirk graced her face as she gave him another once over. "Especially one that's very..." Her eyes lowered to his mid section. "Talented."

Quistis' grin grew wider as Seifer's face drained of all color. "Tell me..." he stammered nervously as he stumbled back one step, as afraid they were going to hurt him. "Tell me those aren't..."

Vindictively, Quistis nodded. "Oh yes they are," she told him with a wide smirk. She lifted up the package and pulled out brilliantly colored 8x10. Seifer suddenly felt dizzy. Quistis looked over at their neighbor and showed her the photograph. "See the blond?" Quistis asked with an unwaveringly proud smile. "I'm doing him."

That was the last thing Seifer remembered hearing before he passed out.

* * *

"Selphie, which do you think is a better picture of me?" Irvine asked they sat on a table in the library looking over the pictures that Irvine had received in the mail. There were about two dozen pictures, all snapped in different angles. Most of them were from when Irvine, Seifer, and Squall had fallen over each other and were heaped together on the ground.

The rest were assorted shots from when Irvine ran out being chased by Zell and Seifer. They were all very candid and Selphie could tell that Vincent was apparently a very skilled photographer as well as designer. There were clear shots of Irvine laughing as he held the camera, of Zell stumbling after him boyishly, and of Seifer fuming mad in a near athletic pose as he reached for Irvine. There were even some of Squall being used as a shield.

"I didn't even realize he got so many pictures in," Selphie mumbled in awe as they shifted through the photographs. "Oh...this is a nice one!"

"Which one?" Irvine leaned over and nodded in agreement. The three of them were laid out across each other, all looking in differently directions. It was just before they realized what had happened and raced to get away from each other. "Hey...he got my good side."

They didn't see the doors flying open or the blond tattooed blur that raced in. Before they knew it, Zell was standing in front of them, breathless and flushed. "Did you get them?" he gasped.

The two sitting at the table nodded. "Yeah, what do you think we're looking at?" Irvine chuckled good naturedly. Zell's eyes widened and he nearly threw himself over the pictures.

"Irvine, are you nuts?" Zell shouted as he looked around nervously. People eyed him as he gathered all the pictures against him, trying to hide the pictures from any prying eyes. "Anyone could see here!"

"No they can't," Irvine sighed. "Relax, Zell..." He leaned forward. "You're causing more a scene than us looking at them."

Paling, the blond let the pictures go and Selphie began to collect them into a little pile. "If you makes you so nervous, we'll go look at them in my room," Irvine told him. "We just needed the room the table had to sort through all of them and compare."

"Where your pictures, Zell?" Selphie asked as she lifted the pictures and stacked them.

"Here, where no one will ever find them!" Zell said as he reached back and pulled out a folded white cardboard envelope.

"Did you even look at them?" Selphie asked. Zell shook his head furiously.

"I couldn't bare it..."

"It's not like's going to be a secret forever," Irvine reminded him. "In a week, your nearly naked body will be plastered all over Gaia. And all the world will see Zell Dincht and company in their underwear. Whether you like it or not."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Quistis was leaning against the kitchen counter, frowning as she heard what Rinoa said. "That's not fair...how am I supposed to brag if no one knows it's him?

"Sorry, Quistis, but that's what I was told," Rinoa sighed. "But he's still a model."

"Yes...I know..." Quistis sighed. She heard a groan coming from the living room and she glanced over her shoulder. "Seifer's waking up. I should make sure he's all right."

"Yeah, I have to get back to the infirmary," Rinoa sighed as well. "I can hear Squall swearing. Bye, Quisty."

"Bye," Quistis hung up the phone and wandered into the living room. She found Seifer where she had left him, sprawled across the white leather couch, his arm over his forehead as he let out a groan. "You'll be happy to know that no one else is going to see what I just showed our dear neighbor."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Seifer grumbled. He didn't bother looking up as she stood behind him and looked down at him from the back of the couch.

"Rinoa called to see if you were all right. Squall passed out, too, when he saw the photographs," Quistis told him. "But you're lucky. Mr. Valentine told her that he wasn't planning on showing your faces, just your bodies in the advertising campaign."

"Oh, joy," Seifer grumbled. He frowned and moved his arm away from his face. "Wait a second, what about that one picture?"

"What picture?"

"THE picture," he insisted. Quistis feigned ignorance and he gritted his teeth as he glared at her. "The one with me on the ground after Kinneas pulled some crap with a camera..." he shivered. "On the floor with...THEM."

Quistis smiled brightly. "Oh, the man sandwich shot?"

"Ugh! Don't call it that!" Seifer growled as he sat upon the couch. Quistis laughed as he fell back against the cushions and rubbed his head.

"I guess he didn't want to use that after all," Quistis shrugged. "At any rate, you don't have to worry about it any more. All everyone will see is your six pack and your tight butt." She bent over and kissed the top of his head before sauntering back into the kitchen to get herself something to eat.

Seifer pouted on the couch. 'It could be worse...'

* * *

Squall was laying on the couch of his room while Rinoa sat on the floor. She had pushed the coffee table back and had all the pictures laid out before her. Her main objective was to frame a few, despite Squall's protests. They were only quelled when she told him that his face wouldn't be shown.

"I really like this one," Rinoa said as she lifted up a picture. Squall turned his head away, not wanting to see the photograph of himself walking out in boxer briefs. "What do you think?"

"I think I don't ever want to see those things again," Squall spat out. "Hyne, Rinoa...you've been looking at them for a week."

"This is a very hard decision..." Rinoa insisted. "Hmmm...I want to use this shot of you in my new album," Squall groaned as if he had been stabbed. Rinoa snorted and rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic..." he mumbled.

Rinoa shrugged and looked at the clock. It was a nice Saturday afternoon and soon the sun would set. "Oh no...Squall, we better get ready."

"For what?" came a muffled voice as Squall rolled over and turned his back to her. Rinoa rolled her eyes and tugged on his shirt.

"Dinner!" she insisted. "Tonight...all of us...at that fancy restaurant at the top of the mall, remember? Vincent is paying and wanted to send us out to eat to thank us for our cooperation."

Squall snorted. "Cooperation...right..."

"Squall...GET UP!" Rinoa grabbed his arm and tugged him up. Begrudgingly, he stalked into the bathroom and got ready. After thirty minutes, he was sitting on the couch, waiting for Rinoa to come out dressed and ready to go.

The group had gathered downstairs, in the Garden's foyer, with the exception of Seifer and Quistis who were coming from their house and meeting them there. They piled into two cars, Rinoa driving one of them while Squall sat next to her brooding miserably.

At last, they rolled into the most expensive restaurant in Balamb and valet parked their car. Squall stepped out and froze. Lining the entry way of the restaurant was a series of headless body shots marked with the Double V logo. They were all larger then him and people were whispering as they pointed to certain pictures. His eyes were pasted on his own body plastered across a poster, the main focus: his nether regions.

Squall's mouth dropped as all colored drained from his face. "I want to go home."

"Squall!" Rinoa sighed. "Stop being a baby, no one knows it's you!" she rolled her eyes and attempted to drag him. Usually, he'd come along, but this time, he stood planted where he was. She looked over her shoulder and frowned. "Fine, if you're going to pout-"

Squall's eyes had long left the picture of his body. They had drifted upwards by mistake and he regretted it as he saw the massive billboard sized advertisement that went over the side of the building. There, tangled in a heap of legs and arms, was THE picture.

"There he is!" someone shouted. "It's the boxer briefs guy!"

Squall vaguely heard the shout as he snapped his head in one direction and saw the herd of elegantly dressed women rushing him. His eyes widened in horror as he let out a terrified yell and whirled around.

"Squall! Wait! Squall - WATCH OUT!" Rinoa's scream echoed in his ear as Squall darted out into the street and flew over the hood of a car. "Squall!"

* * *

His head hurt. He could feel it throbbing as he lifted is hand and placed it against his temples. He felt something in the way of his temples, something like a visor, and frowned. "What the hell..."

"Oh, thank Hyne! He's awake!" someone sounded extremely relieved above him and he opened his eyes. He frowned. Everything was tinted in blue.

"What's going on?" he mumbled.

"This is Rinoa," a soft voice said above him. He turned his head slightly and raised an eyebrow in question. "How are you feeling?" Her mouth wasn't moving...but he heard her.

"Rin? Where am I?" Squall asked. He winced. "And what is on my head?" He lifted his hands to pull off the visor when Rinoa stopped him.

"Squall, don't! You know what'll happen if you remove your sapphire-quartz visor." Squall looked at her as if she had grown yet another head.

"What are you talking about." he stated dully.

"Just relax. Professor Cid will come down in a moment and he'll help you...I hope you haven't lost your memory, Squall..." her voice echoed in his head and Squall was getting more and more freaked out.

"Rinoa..." he said in a low voice. "Who am I?"

"You're Squall, remember? Leader of the C-Men." Rinoa told him. Squall twitched beneath his 'visor'.


	29. The CMen Awaken Him

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Twenty-Nine: The C-Men Awakens Him_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: Yes, I know...X-Men & Final Fantasy...I've finally gone off the deep end and drowned. --;;

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

At first, he thought it was just a joke. Was Rinoa speaking in his mind? No, he must've just hit his head too hard and was seeing funny. He looked around the medical area. It was different, yet the same equipment that lined Dr. Kadowaki's infirmary was there. He assumed that they had gotten permission from the good doctor to move things around. This little 'joke' got weirder and weirder and Squall was starting to think that when he flew over the hood of the car, he had fallen and cracked his skull open.

_Rinoa, is he awake? I'm coming in now._

Squall looked around the room. Where was that voice coming from? He glanced over at Rinoa. It was a male voice. A familiar male voice. Rinoa closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Suddenly, the silver doors across from him slid open. Squall's mouth dropped.

"Cid?" he gasped. "What happened to you?"

In rolled a paraplegic Cid. He sat on a wheel chair, a knit blanket over his lap as his hands laid flat atop them. He wore a worn, dark gray blazer over a brown button up shirt and tie. Behind him, Quistis was pushing the wheel chair. But what was most shocking, was Cid's lack of hair.

"How are you feeling, Squall?" the shiny headed man asked amiably. Squall merely sat there on the medical bed, his mouth gaping, trying to form words but failing.

"I...I..." Squall narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What happened to your head?"

"Squall," Quistis' mature voice echoed in the room and he looked over at her. Her hair was down around her face, something anyone rarely saw within the Garden. "That is rude. You, as well as the rest of us, are aware that the Professor lost his hair when he developed his telepathic powers."

"Tele what?" Squall's eyes darted from Quistis to Rinoa and back to Cid's shiny bald head. Squall shook his head worriedly. "What the hell is going on here?"

"You were in an accident, Squall," Cid told him calmly, noticing the young man's nervously. "We were fighting renegade SeeDs and you were hit. I must say, we've all been worried you."

Squall's mouth still hung as his mind struggled to process all the information. "I'm sorry...PROFESSOR," he added, still confused. Apparently, Cid looked pleased with the title. "Could someone just explain to me what is going on? Who am I? Where am I? And WHAT do I do for a living?"

"It seems he has a bit of amnesia," Quistis noted with a concerned frown. "We should keep him in for observation."

"I'm not amnesic!" Squall exclaimed loudly. "All I remember was that I was hit by a car and then I woke up HERE. Wherever HERE is!" He threw his arms in the air for added affect and watched as the other three exchanged glances.

"He must be delirious, too." Rinoa added.

Squall let out a growl and Professor Cid raised his hand to calm him. "Just calm down, Squall. Doing anything irrational will most certainly be problematic. I suggest you rest here for a few more hours. Rinoa will explain to you everything you need to know. When you are feeling better, you can come upstairs. The rest of the team will be glad to see you up and about..."

"Call is if you have any problems." Quistis told Rinoa. The brunette nodded and watched them leave before turning to Squall.

"Squall...have you really forgotten about us?" Rinoa asked reluctantly. Squall turned to look at her, noticing the fear behind large brown eyes. He took in a sharp breath. He had no idea what his relationship was with THIS Rinoa.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled softly. His blue eyes darted away. "I have no idea what happened between us..." He felt the hand that had been holding his tighten and he glanced down. Rinoa's pale fingers had tensed as they trembled.

"You remember nothing?" Rinoa whispered breathily. She was so quiet, he almost didn't hear her. "Nothing at all?"

'What the hell, Squall? Give it at try...this is your dream and in your dreams, Rinoa is still YOUR Rinoa...' Squall thought to himself. He took a deep breath and lifted his other hand. Slowly, it encased Rinoa's shaking one and he raised his head up to look up at her. "I don't know what happened...what's happening between us...but...I could never forget how much you mean to me, Rin." he paused and waited for her reaction.

Tears that were threatening to fall were blinked back and she smiled down at him. "Oh, Squall! I love you so much!" she exclaimed as she put her left hand over his. It was then that Squall recognized the ring on her finger. His eyes widened as he wiggled his other hand from beneath hers and saw a gold band across his ring finger.

As she bent down to hug him, Squall smiled. 'This isn't so bad...'

* * *

'I take that back. This is bad.' Dull blue eyes stared at Rinoa disbelievingly as she held his hand and looked at him earnestly.

"So..." she said with an encouraging smile. "Do you have any questions?"

Squall stared back at her silently. It was almost unnerving. Rinoa's eyes started to look away when Squall finally spoke up. "So...let me get this straight. We're a band of genetically mutated people called 'SeeDs' and we are part of a group of SeeD superheroes called the C-Men. Not only that, but we fight against other SeeDs who are hurting man kind. And mankind fears us and hates us. I'm the leader of the C-Men, One-Eye, and you're my wife, Rinoa Heartilly. We all have some sort of 'code name' that goes along with our 'powers'. Our current group of 'C-Men' include Quistis - Tempest, Seifer - Badger, Zell - ColdPerson, Irvine - Ace of Spades, and 'Transient', who I am guessing is probably Selphie due to process of elimination."

Rinoa tilted her head to the side. "I don't know Transient's real name...she won't tell anyone. But don't forget Professor Cid Kramer."

Squall felt the corner of his eye twitch again. "Okay...you know what? I'm feeling better," he said as he began to sit up. "I should get up."

"Squall, are you sure!?" Rinoa asked, trying to hold him back feebily with her hands. He nodded and slid off the bed he was laying on. He cringed as he felt the cold, sterile floor against his feet. "I'll get you some clothes, Squall! Just sit tight!"

Rinoa lifted her hand and opened up a cabinet in the far corner. She began to shuffle through the pile of cloth within the cabinet using her mind. Squall narrowed his eyes, suddenly worrying about all the thoughts that were going through his head. 'Rinoa can read thoughts...this isn't good.'

She telekinetically moved some clothes over to him and Squall grabbed them from the air. Rinoa watched silently from where she stood and Squall was assured that it was only for 'observation purposes'. Right.

It was half way through pulling up the uniform when he stopped and looked down at the material. "Rin...is this... spandex?"

"Yes, the entire team wears spandex. Sorry, that's the only thing in here that would fit you." Rinoa assured him. Squall looked down at the spandex uniform and suppressed a shudder. His tight leather pants were nothing on this. He finally zipped up the uniform and looked at himself in the mirror.

His eyes nearly feel out as he realized that every curve, crease, nook and cranky of his body were shown through the spandex. "I can't wear this." he spat out.

"What are you talking about. Don't worry about it, Squall. Everyone's seen you in your uniform," Rinoa told him as she walked up behind him. She smiled at him from the reflection in the mirror as she wrapped her arms around his defined stomach. "You look wonderful, honey."

Squall looked at the mirror with slight disgust. He couldn't have possibly worn this out in public. Before he had a chance to argue his way out of it, Rinoa was ushering him out of the medical room. Squall looked around as they walked out into the hallway. It seemed like the same format as the Garden, but with every corner they took, he began to realize that there were no windows.

As if reading his mind, Rinoa glanced back at him and smiled. "We're underground," she told him with a warm smile. She stopped and pressed a button on the side of the wall. A set of doors he hadn't even seen opened up in front of him and he took a cautious step back. Rinoa giggled and pulled him into the elevator. "Don't worry, Squall. Everyone will be glad to see you're up and about."

Squall merely nodded stupidly as the doors closed. They moved up the levels in silence and before he knew it, they opened. He raised an eyebrow as he looked around the elaborately decorated halls. He followed Rinoa around the corner and into a room, where he stopped, frozen at the doorway.

"Oh my Hyne," Squall mumbled, no utterly convinced he was dead and this hell. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

All around the room where familiar faces dressed in unfamiliar...spandex. Rinoa squeezed his hand reassuringly and pulled him into the room. "Don't be shy Squall..." she chuckled. "We're all FAMILY here!"

* * *

"AH!" Blue eyes flashed open as pale fingers gripped the pale, pristine sheets around his body. His heart slammed against his chest as the cracked scream left his chapped lips and echoed through the room.

"Squall!?" Instantly, the figure that was napping on a chair beside his bed stirred. Worried brown eyes blinked rapidly as Rinoa shook herself out of her sleepy and sat up straight.

Across from her, Squall's eyes were frantically darting around the room. Was he back in that weird underground lab or was he in Dr. Kadowaki's office? Was that Rinoa reaching over to stroke his hair or some mind reading woman who he was married to? "I'll get the doctor," a voice said from his other side. Squall's head jerked sharply from beneath Rinoa's hand and saw a fleeting Quistis slip past the white screen divider. "Doctor! He's awake!"

"Squall?" Rinoa's voice was almost panic stricken ads worried hands cupped his face and forced his trembling body to look back at her. Worry could be seen all over her pale face as disheveled dark hair fell messily around her face. "Squall? Squall, honey, say something? It's me...Rinoa?"

His eyes crinkled as he blinked slowly. He opened his mouth and grimaced. "Give him some water," a deep voice said behind her. Squall looked over Rinoa's shoulder and saw Seifer standing there, handing her a small mauve colored plastic cup. "He's been asleep for days, his throat's a desert."

Rinoa nodded distractedly as she took the cup and held it to Squall's lips. Shaking hands raised and gently held hers in place as he tipped the liquid into his mouth. The cool liquid coursed down his throat and he closed his eyes. After he drank down the entire cup, he pushed Rinoa's hands and the cup away. Quistis scurried back into the room. "She'll be here in a minute. How's he doing?" she asked the other two.

"Don't know," Seifer frowned as Quistis reached his side. "He hasn't said anything other than scream."

"Squall?" Rinoa began once more, this time leaning closer and stroking the side of his face lovingly. "Squall, say something..." her voice pleaded.

"Where...?" He struggled to hold back his wince as his voice threatened to crack once more. He raised his hand and Seifer began to pour more water into the cup.

"You're in Dr. Kadowaki's infirmary at Balamb Garden," Quistis said as she took the cup and gave it back to Rinoa. The brunette brought it back to Squall's lips and helped him hold it while he drank. "Do you...remember what happened?"

Squall's eyes narrowed. He remembered a mind reading wife, a shiny, bald headed Cid, and... He shivered. "Spandex..." he rasped out.

Rinoa's eyes widened. "Oh my Hyne, he has amnesia!" she cried as she crumbled at his bedside.

"No..." Squall groaned. He tried to shake his head, only to feel an onslaught of pain. Grimacing, he looked back at the two blondes. "I remember...I saw...the ad..."

"And then...?" Quistis coaxed carefully.

Squall seemed to be thinking. "I ran..." He trailed off as he remembered blaring headlights.

"Into a car," Seifer concluded. Quistis slapped his arm and he winced. "What? He might not remember!"

"You ran into the street and a car that was pulling up hit you," Rinoa said softly as she brought his hand to her lips and pressed gentle kisses on his knuckles. She sat on the edge of his bed, a worried look still on his face. "They were slowing down, so it wasn't as bad as it could be."

"He's still injured, though," another voice said. Squall looked up and saw Dr. Kadowaki entering. "Several fractured ribs and a concussion...it's amazing it wasn't any worse," she said as she lowered the metal clipboard in her hands. "Do you know how long you've been asleep, Squall?"

The Captain squinted and frowned. "No...A few hours?"

"Two and a half WEEKS," the doctor told him. Squall's eyes widened. "I'm not joking. Rinoa hasn't left your side except to shower and use the bathroom."

"Thanks to you, she missed the launch of her new record in Deling City last week." Seifer hissed. Quistis frowned and grabbed his arm.

"We'll leave you all to talk," she told them sweetly as she turned to her fiancee. "You..." She growled and dragged him out of the infirmary. The sliding doors closed out Seifer's insistence that Squall was to blame.

"At any rate, I'll leave you to rest. We can talk about your injuries and recovery in the morning, since you seem to be all right, right now. And don't even think about leaving," the doctor frowned, almost threateningly. "Cid has everything under control while you were out and you won't return to work until I say so."

"What? But-"

"I'm sorry, Captain," The older woman said as she lifted her head proudly. "Those are the orders. Rinoa," She gave a nod at the young woman sitting on the bed. "Watch him."

"I will," Rinoa nodded. "Thank you, doctor." Dr. Kadowaki gave one final nod and headed out of the room. Rinoa looked back at the young man on the bed.

"Two and a half weeks?" he murmured. Rinoa adjusted her position on the bed and lay down beside him.

"I'm sorry..." Rinoa whispered softly.

"What?" He frowned and looked down at her. Her eyes were narrowed as she blinked back the clear, wet tears. "Rinoa, it's not your fault..."

"You became a model because of me. You had to model underwear because of me. You were dragged to that restaurant because of ME," Rinoa choked out as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"No...no..." 'She's right...' Squall shook his head slightly. "I over reacted...It's not your fault." 'Not entirely, anyway...'

"I really wanted you to go..." Rinoa whispered. Her fingers wove through his as she wiped her eyes with the back of her other hand.

"Okay...that's enough..." Squall sighed heavily. He winced as pain shot through his body. 'I guess my ribs really were injured...' "I'm awake and alive...a car isn't going to kill me." That sounded odd.

"But you didn't see it happen," Rinoa whimpered. "The car got you and were flying through the air like one of Angelo's play toys when she's worn it down..."

Squall tried to imagine himself doing that and suppressed a shiver. How wonderful for his image. "I'm fine, Rinoa...I'm awake...and trust me, I'd rather be here than any where else." '...and wearing Spandex...'

Rinoa nodded numbly. "At any rate, I rejected another offer from Vincent to have you model for him."

Squall growled. "He wanted me to model...again?" he hissed in a low voice. Like hell he was. After what happened the last time? Nightmares of half naked comrade-in-arms still plagued his sleep. Rinoa shrugged.

"Yes, but I said no," Rinoa said as she wrapped her arms gently around his waist; careful not to hit his injured body parts. "After all...I can't see you wearing spandex."

* * *

_One Month Later..._

It felt good to be back in his office. His soft leather chair was just how he left it. The stacks of paper that were on his desk had been cleaned out; Cid and Quistis had taken on his duties while he had been on leave. They had his office cleaned; not a trace of dust anywhere. Squall nodded approvingly and leaned back against his chair. With Rinoa in Trabia on business, abet hesitantly, he was ready to dive into his work and get his mind occupied. She had stuck with him for the first three weeks after he woke up like glue. It was almost impossible for him to even go to the bathroom without her hovering over him. However, now that she had left...he found himself missing the pair of brown eyes watching him as he bathed.

The last week, he had been forced to stay in his room. He was only allowed to go to the infirmary for his check-up. By the time Irvine came to get him, Squall was ready to shoot something out of boredom. He was sure Kadowaki only let him return to work because he was losing his mind confined to his room. He reached forward and turned on his computer. He unlocked the drawer at his side and pulled it open.

Several of Rinoa's CDs were neatly placed in the drawer and he plucked out the second to last album. Squall chuckled to himself. The last time he had listened to that CD, Xu had knocked on his door with the box from Rinoa.

"Squall, you have a package!"

"Just like that..." he murmured. His eyes widened as the drive closed in front of him. A feeling of deja vu swept through is body as he sat up rigid in his seat. "A what!?"

"A package," a voice said. The door opened just a crack and Xu peeked in. "From Rinoa in Trabia."

This...was strange.

"Oh..." Squall stood up and Xu entered. She handed him a brown package and stepped out. As the door closed behind her, Squall took his scissors and slit the tape open. The same office...with the same music being played as he opened another box from Rinoa... The corners of his lips tugged into a smirk. The next thing he knew, she was sending him her newest CD, which he still had bought.

Eager hands pulled the box open and dug through the layers of white popcorn until they hit something hard and plastic. His fingers immediately curled around them and pulled it out.

_Past. Present. Future. Forever._ Squall narrowed his eyes as he saw Rinoa's face on the cover. It seemed to be a candid picture of her playing in the snow with her resort in the background. His eyebrows furrowed. The plastic had been removed over the jewel case. Carefully, he lifted it, expecting to find a CD. Instead, there was a blue sticky note where the CD would've been. There were three words written in Rinoa's familiar cursive.

"Come find me..." his voice trailed off. He stared down at the jewel case and flipped it over casually. A slip of paper fell out from behind the album cover and he looked down at it. It was a train ticket...to Trabia.

"Squall," Xu's voice came from the speaker phone on his desk. The man nearly dropped the case. "Security called from the gate. A car is here to pick you up?" she asked, confused.

Squall's lips tugged into a smile. He reached down and pressed a button on the phone. "Cancel any appointments I have for the next week or so..." He snapped the jewel case closed and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "I'm going to Trabia."

* * *

**A.N.** - I've decided to split it into one more chapter...just to make it an even 30:D It'll be up by tonight. 


	30. Completion The End

**Drifted**  
_Chapter Thirty: Completion_  
By PasifiKStaR

**Author's Note**: The Finale (sorry it's so rushed, but it brings closure)! See profile for full notes.

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.

* * *

His heart had been racing the moment he put his jacket on. He had practically run down to the front of the Garden and jumped into the awaiting car. Within moments, he found himself standing at the Balamb town train station; ticket in hand and no luggage at his side. He briefly wondered if he was crazy. He'd just dropped everything without hesitation. He didn't tell anyone, other than Xu, that he was leaving. He didn't even report to Cid. It was too spontaneous. Too unprepared. Yet the second the train arrived, his heart began racing once more and he climbed on with only one thing on his mind: Rinoa. 

The trip there had been much too long for his tastes. It seemed to be endless and he had been bored out of his mind. He spent much of his time going through the only other thing he had brought with him other than the clothes on his back; Rinoa's album. By the time he rolled into the Trabia train station, he had the entire album's lyrics memorized. He hadn't even heard the entire CD, yet.

Tugging his leather jacket tighter around him, he braced himself for the cold as he stepped off the train. The people who had gotten on with him had changed from thinner, fall clothing to thick snow wear. Coming to Trabia without the correct clothes was definitely a crazy idea, however, he was already there. It was much too late to turn back.

"Yes!" a voice piped energetically behind him. "He's here!" He turned around and saw a warmly dressed yellow blob running toward. "Squall!"

"Selphie!?" He could've sworn she had been at the Garden that morning... "What are you doing here?"

"No time for questions!" the hyperactive brunette said as she pulled out a thick black jacket out of a large paper shopping bag she had been carrying. "It's cold, but this on!"

Unsure of what to say, the blue eyed Captain nodded and gratefully put on the warm jacket. "Selphie, what-"

"Come on! Come on!" She said. She grabbed his hand and tugged him forward. "Irvy's waiting in the car!"

"Car?" Was he being kidnapped? He wasn't sure if he liked where this was going.

His eyes adjusted to the setting sun as he was dragged out of the station. He was pulled to the front of the train station, where a large black SUV was waiting. Irvine waved from the front seat and started up the vehicle. Selphie pulled open the door to the back seat and shoved Squall in before jumping into the passenger seat. "Told you we wouldn't be late!" Irvine beamed as he pulled out into the street.

"I got there just as he got off the train!" Selphie told him. "We still could've missed him."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Squall growled from the back seat.

"Zell!" Irvine shouted over his shoulder, completely ignoring Squall's request. "Give him his suit!"

Squall's eyes nearly popped out. "My WHAT?"

"Here you go!" Zell, who had been sitting only Hyne knew where, popped up and shoved a black dress bag in Squall's arms. He began crawling his way over the back of the seat and on to the spot beside Squall. "The back's free. You can change back there."

"What!?"

"Just do it!" Selphie yelled. She whirled around. "Or we will stop this car and turn around, mister!"

Squall sat frozen in his chair. "Selphie, what is going on-"

"Irvine! Turn the car around!" she screamed.

"Okay, okay!" Squall let out a frustrated growl and crawled over the back seat. He landed in the back of the SUV with a thump and groaned. He unzipped the back and looked down at the dark colored SeeD uniform. "Wait...what is going on? You three just kidnapped me-"

"Nuh-uh!" Selphie retorted. "You came willing! Else you wouldn't have been on the train."

Squall stared at the trio as if they had lost their minds. "I can't believe this is happening..." Instead of wasting his breath, he quickly changed into his uniform. As soon as the last button was in place, the vehicle came to a stop. Squall looked out the window. They were back at the Ice Crystal Resort. His eyes narrowed as he looked around the snow covered area. Something was...different.

"Out!" Selphie said as she opened the back door. Squall was quickly ushered out and stood in front of the massive lodge. "Go on!" Selphie said as she stood by the SUV excitedly "Get inside!"

He was about to ask if they were coming, but decided against it. Like he needed those three crazies following him... Slowly, almost hesitantly, he walked up the steps of the resort. He paused before the doors, his mind lost in what could be behind them. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for anything. He placed his hands on the door and pushed them open.

A rush of warm air met him as he stepped into the high vaulted lobby. He froze as the door swung close behind. That was what was different. Aside from him and his three kidnappers, there wasn't another person he'd seen at the resort. Last time, it had been crawling with guests and employees. He looked directly ahead of him. The front desk was empty. Slowly, he took a step forward. In the lounge pits on either side of the lobby, the fires were going, but no one was inside of them. It was as if everyone had vanished.

"Hello?" he called out hesitation. There was no answer. He reached the center of the lobby. "Rinoa?"

Suddenly, music flooded the lobby and Squall shifted into a fighting stance. For a moment, he wondered if someone was going to jump out, but no one did. Nothing changed except for the addition of the music. He waited a moment longer. Nothing.

His body relaxed as he remained standing in his spots. Outside the large windows, the sun that had been setting when he arrived had vanished in the horizon. A thick, star speckled darkness had settled in. The sound of low motors began to murmur and he whirled around. His eyes darted around until they caught sight of the moving ceiling. High above him, panels were being drawn into the wall to reveal a large glass dome at the top of the lobby. As the lights turned on around its edges, the crystal shaped hanging statue above him lit up like ice.

'So that's where it got the name...'

Squall stared up at the sky a moment longer. It the night was clear and that far away from any city, he could see the stars clearly. The music began to fade into a familiar piano piece. A waltz...he could recognize it in his sleep. A smile reached his face and he looked down and shook his head. He heard the door open behind him and stood up straight. He took a deep breath put on a straight face.

As seriously as he could, he turned around. A bright, beaming smile met him as a woman in cream made her way across the room. "Squall," she said as she stood in front of him. "I know this is a bit unorthodox...but I have a question to ask you."

He nodded and reached out; wrapping her smaller hands in his. "Anything."

He could see a slight flash of nervousness in her eyes and momentarily wondered why. She took a deep breath and stepped back. She pulled her hands away from his and raised them to the back of her neck. A second later, the silver chain that was perpetually hanging around her neck slipped to her hand. Pale fingers pulled out the larger silver ring with the lion engraved around it. She cleared her throat.

"Squall," she began seriously. "Several years ago today, I approached you on a dance floor in Balamb Garden," she began as she reached for his hand. Her large brown orbs stared up into his blue ones lovingly. "And a year ago...you found me here," Squall's eyes widened. He hadn't even realized that. "In that year, I would like to say that I've fallen in love with you all over again...but I haven't."

His heart froze. She removed his ring...she hadn't fallen in love with him... Rinoa watched as all the color drained out of his face. She could practically feel the fear of separation coming from him.

"I'm not done," she sighed. "Honestly, Squall..." she murmured under her breath. She took another breath and squeezed his hand. "I never stopped loving you...and I don't want to go another day without knowing you're by my side. So..." She lifted up his ring and took hold of his left hand. His eyes widened. "Captain Squall Leonhart..." His heart began to slam against his chest. "Will you do me the honor," His face was turning red. "Of marrying me?"

Rinoa looked up into his eyes eagerly. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Was he hesitating? Her eyes widened and her heart began to race. The nervousness that had been in her stomach began to churn. Within a second, dread was crawling up her body as her hands began to shake. Her smile was faltering. Was he going to say no? Then, his eyes rolled back...and Squall crumbled to the ground.

* * *

"Stop laughing..." Squall growled as Rinoa sat beside him, gently stroking his hair as they had dinner in one of the many restaurants of the resort. The crowds were now let back into the main area of the resort as the group had dinner. 

Across from Squall, Seifer and Irvine could not stop laughing. Their red faces had tears streaming down their cheeks as they leaned back against their chairs and laughed. Zell was trying desperately not to laugh, but every time he looked at Squall, another burst of laughter would escape. Quistis couldn't stop smiling. Selphie was giggling. Squall glared at the short brunette. She had filmed it...the entire thing. Even up to the part where Rinoa started screaming and everyone rushed in.

Apparently, he had stopped breathing. Rinoa chuckled and returned to her salad. "The point is he said yes!"

"That was so sweet," Shizuka smiled intently. "It was the first thing he said when he woke up."

"Yeah, too bad the first hand he grabbed was Seifer's," Irvine choked out. Seifer immediately stopped laughing and shot Irvine as glare as half the table erupted into another round of hysteria. "That was the best proposal ever, Rinoa!"

"It's not funny," Rinoa told them, despite being unable to keep from smiling. She was still quite giddy that Squall accepted. "He could've gotten hurt."

"I can't believe you forgot to breathe," Laguna said from Squall's left. He looked at his son worriedly. "Was it that much of a shock that Rinoa proposed to you?"

It wasn't so much of a shock as...well, it was shock. He never expected Rinoa to ask him to marry her. He'd always thought he would be the one to ask...and in an equally romantic way! A small piece of his manhood had been injured...he suddenly felt inadequate for not proposing first. Grumbling, he looked back down at his food and continued to poke at it. And Seifer hadn't helped. They had been in the middle of moving him to one of the couches when Squall woke up and grabbed the closest arm before proclaiming 'yes'.

Seifer had dropped him like a rock and sent everyone else tumbling down with him.

Luckily, that had been a short lived embarrassment, as Rinoa dove forward, squealing with excitement as she threw her arms around him and planted her lips on his. "Still...what man faints when his girlfriend asks him to marry her?"

Finally, Squall pushed his plate forward with a scowl on his face. "I'm going for a walk."

"What?" A series of voices chorused and tried to stop him, but Squall was already out of his seat.

Rinoa put her fork down and threw everyone an apologetic look. "I'll go talk to him," she said. "You guys go ahead and eat." she added as she stood up and placed her napkin by her plate. She quickly wove through the tables after Squall.

"I told you not to say anything!" Quistis hissed as she glared at Seifer. "Now look what you did!"

"Hey, I wasn't the only one!" Seifer replied and pointed across the table at Irvine. "Kinneas wouldn't stop joking anyway!"

"And don't try to deny that you weren't laughing, either, Quisty," Irvine told her, earning him a glare from the instructor. "I saw you trying to hold back!"

"But I didn't go cracking jokes at his expense," Quistis sighed, exasperated. "Now he's mad on what's supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life..."

* * *

"Squall!" He could hear her calling out to him as he stepped through the doors and met the cold air. "Squall! Wait a minute!" 

He finally stopped and lowered his head. He released a heavy breath and slowly turned around. Rinoa burst through the doors and stumbled to a stop in front of him. "Sorry..."

"It's fine, they deserved it," Rinoa assured him as she took a tentative step forward. She looked at him worriedly. "Are you...are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

His voice lacked any emotion and Rinoa frowned. "Squall..." she said. "Irvine and Seifer will stop once they lose interest-"

"It's not about that," Squall told her. His breath crystallized in front of him. He looked down at the beautiful woman in front of him and raised his hands. He rested them on her bare shoulders. Even in the cold night air, she was warm. "Rinoa...I was supposed to ask you to marry me."

For a moment, the woman stared at him. "What...?"

His hands released her and turned around. "I was supposed to ask you to marry him, not vice versa."

"Squall, what does it matter-"

"It matters a lot!" Squall exclaimed. "I did want to propose you know." He told her softly.

A small smile reached her lips. "Well, you did say yes..." she said as she crossed her arms.

"But you didn't get a proposal deserving of you," Squall told her regretfully. "I was supposed to take you somewhere and give you a ring...not the other way around. I was supposed to go down on one knee and hold up a little black box with a ring. Instead, you had to do it all yourself."

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "Do you think you failed me?" she asked, in an almost disbelieving voice. She stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. She gently pulled him aside; forcing him to look at her. "Squall, just because I proposed to you doesn't mean you did something wrong...it means I wanted this badly enough to ask myself..." Her hand slid down his arm and she looked at him sadly. "If anyone is to blame, it's me...Squall, if you're not ready for this-"

A pair of lips swept down and covered hers. Large brown eyes fluttered before closing. She leaned into him as his arms wrapped around her bare shoulders. A soft breath caressed her cheek as he pulled away. Deep blue eyes looked down at her. "I'm ready for this...I've been ready..." he whispered in a low voice. His hands rose and cupped her cheeks gently. Thumbs gently stroked the corners of her eyes. "Rinoa Heartilly, I would be honored to be your husband."

The truth behind those words was so strong, it was almost frightening.

Rinoa's eyes widened as tears began to rim them once more. "Sometimes, I don't think it's real..." she whimpered as her arms wrapped around him. "That I'll wake up and I'll still be alone...and every morning when I look over and see you, I know it's real," She closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank you, Squall."

Strong arms wrapped around her body and a heavy head rested against hers. His eyes closed as he planted a small kiss against her temple. 'Thank you, Rinoa...' he thought to himself silently as he smiled. 'For drifting back into my life.'

* * *

"Aww..." Selphie cooed as she stood pasted by the window, watching the happy couple embrace. "Isn't that sweet..." 

"It really makes you believe in love, doesn't it?" Laguna added as he dabbed the corners of his eye.

"It's inspiring!" Selphie stated determinedly as she pulled away from the glass.

"Inspiring?" Quistis chuckled as she peeled herself away from the window. "How so?"

The green eyed brunette gave the blonde and the Esthar President a huge smile. "Rinoa proposed to Squall...I think I'll do the same!" Quistis nearly tripped over her own feet. She looked at Selphie as if the woman had grown another head. "It's about time, don't you think?"

The brunette chuckled to herself and began heading back to the restaurant. Back at their table, a cowboy hat wearing SeeD began choking on his drink.

* * *

**THE END**

Thank you for reading!


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